


Your Past Will Find You

by Cwinter1994



Series: The Past That Haunt’s Us [1]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV), wayhaught - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, But set in the present, F/F, Fluff, Humor, I promise, Implied Sexual Content, Letters, Like 1920’s kind of mobsters, Military, Mobsters, Romance, Slow Burn, Suspense, it gets good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-02-27 13:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 113,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13249086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cwinter1994/pseuds/Cwinter1994
Summary: The man that they’ll all fear next. A man that won’t hesitate to kill his own child to save their family from prison life. The odds of that happening was slim, since all of Texas’s law enforcements were getting paid by them. Including the mayor. Yes, being multi-billionaire criminals had there perks.“Boss, we’ll find her.”++Nicole Haught has been hiding from her family for eight year. Even going as far as joining the Marines to stay hidden. One day she gets a random letter from Waverly Earp. When fate finally brings them together, is there love strong enough to stay together for what’s about to come?Updated*





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing fan fiction and debated on posting this. Please note that the different locations will go together. I will also be adding tags as I post. Please let me know how it is. 
> 
> Also, this universe is set in the state of Maine just because I want it to be and because I am from there.

_Friday, July 11, 2014 ~ The Punchline; Houston, Texas — 10:05 p.m. (CT)_

Music playing, people talking and laughing, enjoying the evening while trying to forgot all responsibilities. The club that they were in were one of few that was owned by the same company. The owners were nice but had an edge to them. They wore suits and ties and fancy shoes. They flaunted their money like it no ones businesses. Though the people who went to the clubs didn’t seem to care anymore. They just got use it.

There was a VIP room in the back but none of the clubbers were aloud in. Not even the employees that worked for the club had access to the room. The only people who were allowed in, were the ones that were close to the family that owned it. As employees would say ‘I work for the club not the company.’ Not understanding what that actually meant, everyone just accepted it and went about working. No matter how bad it hurt to know that they weren’t treated the same way as the ‘VIP’S’. If they knew what happened on the other side of the door, they would never see the light of day again.

Inside the VIP, there was about two dozen men standing and sitting throughout the room. A few wore blue suits with white dress shirts, while the rest wore all black suits. An older gentleman, late seventies, was in a deep navy blue suit that had gold cuff links and wore a black dress shirt. To a couple of people, he was a husband, father and and a grandfather. Though at the moment, he was not entirely thrilled about being. Considering his only grandchild left a few years ago and knew way to much about the family business. Only part about that was they didn’t know where they went.

His grandchild was brought up to take over the business when the time came. Granted it won’t happened for a while since his son was to take rein after stepping down or sooner, if his health didn’t get any better. There was a lot to the business. On the outside, they owned casinos, clubs and hotels. But on the inside, it was much darker. The gentlemen’s grandchild had to be found before they opened their mouth and let out their ‘little secret’. One that would cost their life. Hopefully it would never come to that.

Now, to other people, he was the boss. To those same people, they knew to never cross him. He had a reputation and one that served him well. The boss had been around the block a few times over the years. All starting back in 1956, when he was just eighteen. The older mans father was the one who started everything back in the twenties. Fell into the wrong crowd but fell in love with the game. Morals were out of the question, once food and money became the prize for his family.

At this point, they made enough money just from the business’s that they owned, sadly it wasn’t enough. The thrill of being a criminal and not getting caught was enough to keep him in the game. Even if at this age, he wasn’t the one doing it. He was just calling the shots and mentoring his son to become the next boss. The man that they’ll all fear next. A man that won’t hesitate to kill his own child to save their family from prison life. The odds of that happening was slim, since all of Texas’s law enforcements were getting paid by them. Including the mayor. Yes, being multi-billionaire criminals had there perks.

“Boss, we’ll find her.”

**____________________**

 

_Monday, August 1, 2016 ~ Holliday Café; Purgatory, Maine— 1:00 p.m. (EST)_

“ _In other news today, there’s an increase in activity down in Houston, Texas that is lead to believe it is highly illegal and a possibility that it may include other states. Police are currently looking into it._ ” a mans voice came from the radio.

Inside a small café a group of people started talking amongst themselves about the new information they had just heard over the radio. It wasn’t the first time a news reporter had said that statement, but to some people, it was the first time hearing it. What could possibly be happening down in Texas for it make national news? We’re other states really involved? How dangerous is the situation? Those were many questions that were being said and unsaid between conversations. While others just ignored the radio all together.

Sitting on a couch in the back of the cafe, was a woman with papers spread across the coffee table in front of her, a laptop in her lap and a pencil resting behind her right ear. There was a coffee placed near the edge of the table, far enough away from the papers but close enough in arms reach. The woman is focus, her eyes going from the papers to the laptop every couple of minutes. To the woman, the coffee shop is empty, even though not. She is in work mode, which means she ignores all sounds around her. Including her older sister. Who came in the shop when she noticed her little sister.

“Hey babygirl.” The older sister said. “Waves?... Waverly?” She realized that her little sister wasn’t paying attention, she knew what to do. The older woman sat next her knowing full well that her sister hadn’t noticed. She quickly grabbed the laptop and slammed it shut.

“What the hell... oh hey Wynonna.. how long you been sitting there?”

“Long enough to know that you need a break.” Waverly rolled her eyes.

“I’m fine. Can I have my laptop back? I need to finish typing this.” Waverly said while slowly grabbing her laptop back.

“Waves, I love you, but you need a break. How long have you been at this?” Concern shown in her older sisters voice and her eyes.

“Fives hours.”

“Girl, go stretch. Go for a run. I know you keep your running gear in your car and I know it’s parked outside.” Wynonna stood up and pull her sister up with her. “I’ll pick up everything here for you. Just give me your keys and I’ll meet up with you afterwards. We’ll go to Shorty’s and have some drinks.”

“Fine. Only because it’s pointless to argue with a stubborn mule.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way. Now go.” Wynonna slaps Waverly’s ass as she moves pass her sister.

Waverly goes to her car, grabs the bag with her workout gear in it and goes back into the coffee shop to change in their bathroom. A few minutes later she was walking out with her a tank top, yoga pants, and her iPod armband connected to her right forearm. After getting her iPod situated, she finally plugged her headphones into her ears and she was off on her run.

**____________________**

 

_Monday, August 1, 2016 ~ Widows State Park; Purgatory, Maine — 1:21 p.m. (EST)_

Fifteen minutes into the run, Waverly found herself at Widows State Park. Running the trails was always relaxing. She took out her headphones so she could listen to the wildlife that surrounded the trails. The park was usually busy but surprisingly during her run, it wasn’t.

Peace and quiet was how Waverly always liked things. It helped her concentrate and clear her mind. She didn’t realize how much she really needed this run. It had been awhile since she took time to herself and was happy that her big sister pushed her to do so.

She ran for another few minutes before slowing down to walk. She walked to the edge of the park and sat down. Enjoying the view of the lake and the birds soaring above. Waverly noticed a couple that wasn’t to far from her. She loathed them. Having someone to care about or even love, it’s something she longed for. But she never seemed to find time to put herself out there to meet someone.

Wynonna offered to put up a dating profile for her but Waverly found it absolutely absurd. Meeting someone through the internet was not how she imagined finding love. She wanted to meet someone the ‘normal’ way. Meeting them at a club, bumping into them by accident somewhere, catching sight of someone looking her and her looking at them. She wanted it to be special. If someone asked how they met, Waverly wanted to have a cute story to tell instead of ‘oh, we were a match on the internet’.

Without realizing it, she started listening to the couples conversation. The couple had a friend that was in the military and said friend enjoyed getting mail and care packages. She also heard that some members didn’t receive any mail because they didn’t have family. The couples friend recommended to put the word out to anyone willing to listen and see if they would be willing to be pen pals with said members. Waverly thought that it was sweet gesture and thought about doing it as well. That’s when she finally realized that she was eavesdropping. She shook she head and got up to walk towards the couples.

“Excuse me.” The couple looked up at her confused. “Sorry, to interrupt. I couldn’t help but over hear about your friend in the military. I don’t usually eavesdrop but to hear that members of our armed forces are alone and don’t receive encouragement from home is really devastating.” Waverly said shyly.

“It’s okay and yes it is. Our friend just mentioned about the one of the new marine’s that just got orders here. It seems that she doesn’t have any one. People of asked her about her family and just says she doesn’t have any. Our friend wants her to feel welcome but apparently she’s a bit of a loner.. Just looking for people or just someone to write to her.. become an anonymous pen pal to her.” The young man said.

“That’s sounds like a lovey idea and I’d love to help. Especially if it means welcoming someone new to our town.” Waverly said cheerfully.

“That’s great and really thoughtful of you.” The woman said while pulling out her phone to look up the information. “The woman goes by Captain Haught.” Waverly scrunches up her face and lifts an eyebrow in confusion.

“Hot?” Waverly questioned.

“Haught. H.A.U.G.H.T. But is pronounced the same at hot. H.O.T.” The woman laughed. “If you want, we can give you her information or you can go to the Ghost River Triangle Base. Tell them you want to be a pen pal with Captain Haught. Surprisingly enough, they will give her mailing address.”

“Isn’t that against protocol?”

“Usually, but it’s no different than giving a bunch of 10 year olds there address as well. The Armed Forces welcomes anyone who is willing to be a friend or pen pal to a member just to cheer them up.” The man said.

“Well thank you for the information. I’ll just go to the base and go from there. Again, thank you and sorry for interrupting.” Waverly said.

“Anytime.” The man said with a smile.

Waverly left the couple and headed back to town. Which took longer than expected since she walked the whole way instead of finishing her run. Her mind was now racing through ideas on what to write to this Captain Haught.

**____________________**

 

_Tuesday, August 2, 2016 ~ Ghost River Triangle Base; Ghost River, Maine — 2:13 p.m. (EST)_

_Oh, I should of just taken the address. Why did I think driving to this base was a good idea? I’m a planner. Why didn’t I think this through. Stupid impulsive brain. Well, let just hope for the best._ The brunette thought. If it wasn’t for the fact that Waverly was already three quarters of the way to the military base, she would of turned around and forget that she ever wrote a letter to someone she doesn’t know. Then again, she also would of internally kicked herself for chickening out. Face your fears head on.

Driving into the base was an experience. Civilians were allowed on base but only certain parts. The restricted areas were blocked off by fences and gates. The entrance to those areas had guards and the only way to enter was have to your military identification card. At least that’s what Waverly assumed considering non-personals weren’t allowed through the gates.

When driving around trying to think of how to deliver the letter, she accidentally stumbled upon the post office. _Why didn’t I think of this before. Oh that’s right, because all coherent thinking has gone out the flipping window. It’s just a letter. A letter to a stranger. A stranger who might not even write back. So why am I nervous about this? God, I’m such a mess._

Pulling into the parking lot of the post office, Waverly continued to contemplate with following through. She felt overwhelmed with excitement and fear. Even though it was a letter, it was to someone that she could potentially meet. Which scared her a lot. What if they were mean and cruel, don’t right rude. But what if they were kind and sweet. So many scenarios ran through her mind, but it was now or never. Swallowing her fears, the brunette got out her jeep, and walked into the building.

A small bell sound went off as she entered the mailing room. A black hair woman, who was probably in her forties, greeted her with a welcoming smiling. “What can I help you with? I’ve never seen you here before. You new to the area or just a visitor passing through?”

“Just a visitor and I do need your help with something.” Waverly said shyly.

“What do you need?”

Hesitating a little, Waverly opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before finding her voice again. She didn’t realize how nervous she was going to be up until that very moment.

“I um. I have a letter but um. I don’t have an address for this person.”

“Who’s the letter for?”

“Captain Haught.. I just wanted to welcomed her into our town and thank her for her service.” The brunette slowly handing over the letter.

“Haught. Of course. I can put that into her mailbox for you.” The older woman said while taking the envelope from Waverly.

“Thank you so much.” With that, Waverly gave the woman a appreciative smile and walked back to her Jeep.

Getting into the Jeep, the brunette let out her breath she didn’t know she was holding. Looking down at her hands, Waverly noticed that were shaking from her nervous energy. Taking a few more deep breaths to collect herself and let her nerves subside, she turns on the vehicle, puts in reverse to turn around, and heads back to Shorty’s. A small smile slowly making its way on her face as she left the base.

**____________________**

 

_Wednesday, August 3, 2016 ~ Ghost River Triangle Base; Ghost River, Maine— 9:07 a.m. (EST)_

Taking a few minutes out of her work hours, while driving over to one of the other buildings to teach a class for new enlisted members, Nicole stopped by the post officer. Usually the Captain would picked up her mail shortly after arriving on base for work but this morning she was sadly running late. A very rare occasion, it was the first time in two years that she was actually late. Reason being, was that her cat that she had just got, took off with her keys during the night and hid them from her. Severely questioning herself on why she got a cat and instead a dog.  
  
After moving to Ghost River a few weeks ago, the redhead started to feel a little lonely at her house. Deciding that getting a pet was a good idea, it was a decision on what kind. She didn’t care for having birds as pets. Birds were meant to fly free rather than being caged to a confined space. Reptiles and amphibians were out of the questions. Along with rodents. Not matter how cute hamsters were. Which left her to the common pets, cats and dogs.

When she went to the the animal shelter and walked through the kennels where the dogs were, Nicole remembered how they looked. Some were over excited to see people, others were shy and would need a lot of work. Not having any experience with dogs, the redhead decided against getting one. Now leaving her with the last option, cats. Going through the sections of where all the cats were kept, one in particular stood out. The Captain was instantly drawn to the feline and apparently the cat felt the same. What she wasn’t expecting was that her new cat, that was so nice to her in the shelter, played her like the idiot that she is. Her new found pet was a complete and utter asshole. Sadly, Nicole just didn’t have the heart to bring her back either.

Shaking her head, while walking to into the post office, Nicole went over to mailbox and grabbed her mail. Just as she was about to leave she remembered needing stamps. _Might as well kill two birds with one stone._ The Captain was greeted by the older black haired woman.

“Good morning, Captain. Need anything?” The woman said while sorting out some mail.

“Yea, I need some stamps when you got a minute.”

“Of course. How many?”

“A small booklet will be fine.” The older woman went about the office to grab the stamps.

“Here you go.” Handing the stamps to Nicole and taking the money in exchange to pay for them, the black haired woman remembered something. “Oh I almost forgot. You have another piece of mail. A younger brunette came by and dropped it off.” She handed it to the Captain. They exchanged pleasantries and went about the rest of their day.

Nicole got into her truck and opened up the the mysterious envelope and began to read:

_Monday, August 1st, 2016_

_Dear Captain Haught,_

_Hi. I know am a complete stranger to you and quite frankly I don’t even know how to go about this but I can only hope you’ll continue to read.  
_

_My name is Waverly Earp, I am 20 years old, and I live in a weird town called Purgatory. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. I am currently a history major. I know four languages and four dead languages. I’m also trying to write a novel but even that is kicking my ass at the moment. Anyways, I am writing to you because it’s always nice to have someone that cares. Even if it’s from a stranger. I found out that you are new to Maine (I think) and well, I’ve been known to be quite the welcoming committee. Actually I’m the nicest person in Purgatory. I even have a sash to prove it.  
_

_All I’m trying to do here, is be a friend or at least be a pen pal. Through fellow members that you work with, they are concerned for you. They know that you don’t have family or at least don’t speak to them and I know how that feels. I know how it feels to be alone all to well. Especially when it comes to family. I’m sorry if I over stepped.  
_

_To be honest, I don’t even know why I offered to do this. This random couple was just sitting enjoying there time together in the park and without realizing it, I was eavesdropping and the next thing I knew I was talking to them, offering to write to you. I’ve never written to someone I don’t know and yet here I am wanting to tell you my whole life story. I’m really fighting the urge though cause I highly doubt you even want to know anything about me. Which by now you probably think I’m some crazy psychopath. Which I don’t blame you cause if I got some random letter from someone I don’t know, I’d be concerned. Oh shit tickets, I am rambling. I didn’t even think it was possible to ramble in a hand written letter and yet here I am doing so. I’m just going to take a breather here.. I don’t even know I am telling you that. God dammit, I’m doing it again.  
_

_I am really sorry for taking up your time with this now very pointless letter. I can only hope that my awkwardness put a smile on your face._

  
Your Friend/ Pen Pal,

_Waverly Earp_

 

Putting aside the letter and looking into the rear view mirror, Nicole saw that she was smiling. It wasn’t often that she got mail from people she didn’t know. The last time she got one was when she was over seas during the holidays. Her troop had gotten picked by a few schools through out the states and the kids did homemade Christmas cards. It was a warm gesture that certainly didn’t go unnoticed. But now, to have an adult send her a letter, just to be nice, because she wanted to be, made the redhead felt appreciated. A little upsetting that some of her fellow coworkers felt the need to put her name out there to try and help her make friends, but none the less, she knew they did it with good intentions.

Finally pulling herself from the multiple thoughts running her through her mind, the Captain went about the rest of her day. On different occasions, when she had a moment to think, Nicole remembered the name that was signed at the bottom of the letter. _Waverly Earp._ She didn’t know why and certainly couldn’t explain it either, but something kept telling her to write back to this mystery woman. A woman that apparently didn’t live that far from the base. Either way, she felt drawn to it and wanted to figure out why. What better way to do so, than to write back.

**____________________**

 

_Wednesday, August 3, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 8:00 p.m. (EST)_

Long and stressful. Two hours of punching and kicking an old punching bag that should be replaced but every time a new hole is made, it gets fixed with duct tape. No matter how long she beat the living shit out of the bag, it wasn’t relaxing her body any.

Needing a break from detoxing stress, Nicole grabbed her water bottle and slowly drank all of its contents. Walking back into her house from the garage, she walked into the bathroom to take a hot shower and relax the her muscles. Hoping that wouldn’t be sore tomorrow. She definitely over did it but the Captain didn’t really care.

Puns! Freaking puns! All the Privates that the Captain was training decided to do a pun war. Instead of learning the material. Sure it was stuff that they should already know, but it never hurt to go over some of it to jog their memory. But no. No one wanted to learn. Just wanted to do a pun war instead. So, being the nice higher ranking officer that she was, Nicole made them do fifty push ups, sixty-five sit ups and also run five miles. The wonders of being a Captain. Nicole thought. Needless to say, the pun war ended and she had hoped that it wouldn’t start back up again. With any luck, her students wouldn’t be stupid enough to do it again or even tempt her knowing she could make them do extreme workouts as payback.

Snapping out of her thoughts and heading into the bedroom, the redhead got dressed and went to her duffle bag to remove her workout clothes and replaced them with cleans ones for tomorrow. She the opened the bag and starting pulling out the clothes, when Nicole noticed the white envelope that she had put in there earlier that day. Pulling it out and holding it in front of her, she started smiling. Remembering the name of the stranger who randomly started writing to her.

Turning the envelope over and reopening it, the Captain gently pulled the letter out again. Scanning it over once more and locking eyes on the signature, Nicole couldn’t help but allow her smile get bigger.

“Waverly Earp.” She said out loud. “I feel like you could be someone important to me. Writing friend and all”

Nicole placed the letter on the bed and finished putting her duffle bag together. Once she was done, she grabbed the letter and the envelope and went to her office to reply back to the anonymous writer, Waverly Earp.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well here is chapter two. Please be advise that the Texas part has a slight bit of violence in it. Nothing to graphic but if you feel I should change the rating please let me know and I will do so.  
> If you feel that Texas is a bit off from the story, please know that it is important and that it will help you understand why this person has and is still running from their past.

_ Monday, May 16, 2016 ~ Nicole’s Apartment, Quantico, Virginia— 5:30 p.m. (EST) _

Arriving home after work and going to the gym, Nicole goes about her regular routine. Showering, changing into a tank top and shorts, and cooks herself dinner. Though she owns a kitchen table, the redhead doesn’t usually use it to eat. It gets better use out of it when she’s doing paperwork or using her laptop.

As per usual, she eats on the couch and watches TV. Getting on Netflix, she starts flicking through the genres. After having a somewhat stressful day, Nicole decides on watch Gabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy. A comedy that she can watch a hundred times and continue laugh at every joke. No matter how many times she’s heard them.

After the hour long episode was over, Nicole decided to check her email. Sometimes she dreaded checking it. Her uncle, who also was the only family member who knew the Captains personal email, would send her updates on the family. At times it was good news, but other times, it scared her. Grabbing her iPad, signing in and opening the mailbox, the first unread message that drew her attention was an email from Liam Webster. Her uncle. With the subject title of Grandfather Haught.

Heart pounding in her chest and her breathing rapidly changing to the point of hyperventilating, Nicole’s finger hovered over the message. _Please be semi good news. Who am I kidding. Nothing good ever comes out when it comes to that man. Just get it over with, Haught._ Tapping on the screen and trying to control her breathing, the redhead began to read what could be a life changing email.

+

  
Email:

From: Webster, Liam <L.Webster@gmail.com>

To: Haught, Nicole <HaughtDamn.90@ymail.com>

Subject: Grandfather Haught

Hey kid,

I talked to your mother last night. She told me that grandfather Haught passed away a week ago. Paperwork has been signed and now your father owns the company. I don’t know where you are or what you’re doing, but I hope you are doing alright. Your father is more determined to find you now more than ever. Stay safe and be careful.

Love,  
Uncle Liam

   
+

Staring at the screen, Nicole felt tears rolling down face and watched them hit the iPad. _He’s dead. My grandfather is dead and now my has father taken over._ That was all Nicole could think. Getting out of the states was one of better ideas the Captain could think of. But she couldn’t. Her orders weren’t for another country. But for another state. _At least its as far from Texas and I actually like where I’m going._ The redhead could only hope for the best. Her uncles words replaying in her mind. _Stay safe and be careful._

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, June 28, 2015~ The Phoenix Casino; Houston, Texas — 4:37 a.m. (CT)_

*Thud*

A body hit the floor and blood began to seep around it. The body was a man. Thirty-five, had wife and two children. Was just trying make more money for his family. Getting cocky though, was a mistake. Thought he could sell more than what his boss told him too. When he did, he kept the extra money. Starting stealing from the old man to sell more. Sooner or later, it was bound to catch up with him.

The thirty-five old was a good man, for the most part. Just had bad luck when it came to jobs. Getting involved with The Boss, seemed like a good idea. He was offered a job when he almost beat the old man at a game of poker. Boss said he great poker face and could be used well. The man didn’t know what that meant at the time, but took the job anyways. He was desperate for money.

Guaranteed traveling and a bonus if he wasn’t caught. What did that mean? Not getting caught? The man was given a piece of paper with instructions on it and was told to follow it through or he was to never to see his family again. Passport in hand, small luggage bag to the side and running towards the gate to catch his plane, he was flying off to Mexico to fulfill his first job. Only way back was to drive through the boarder with six million dollars worth of drugs. After managing to pull it off with no problems, it started a string of operations of which he was to continue with. The adrenaline of it, made him want more.

That way seven years ago. Now he was lying on the floor dead after getting caught stealing. What the man didn’t know, was that The Boss knew he was doing it. He had known for the past year, just waiting for the slip up. It finally came when the dealer in Mexico called, asked why he had to give a million dollars more in drugs when the deal was six and never to be changed. Due to being to risky as it was, adding more could mess up the operation. Boss didn’t know about it and certainly wasn’t collecting any extra.

The mans family home was then raided to try and find the extra drugs. The wife and children were gone out of state to visit friends and family so it gave them The Boss the best opportunity to find out the truth. Unfortunately for the man, he was home and they found the drugs. Punched in the face, breaking his nose and kicking him in the ribs. The family man fell to the floor. Blacking out when a shoe connected to the side of his head.

Now the thirty-five year old’s body was now being wrapped up in a body bag and was being brought to a cremation chamber. His ashes to be spread in the ocean. Never to be seen or heard from again. An unsolved mystery that will never be solved. Courtesy of being paid by The Boss.

“This is what’s happens when you cross me.”

**____________________**

 

_Friday, August 5, 2016 ~ Holliday Café; Purgatory, Maine — 5:30 p.m. (EST)_

“Hey babygirl.” Wynonna says to her as she makes her way over to the couch.

Waverly had already taken over the small love seat and coffee table in the only café in Purgatory. She had been trying to work on one of her class projects and her mind was always somewhere else. The brunette went to the coffee shop early that morning in hopes of clearing her mind and being around a familiar place. Other than being at Shorty’s.

Don’t get her wrong. Shorty’s is like a second home to her. Figuratively and literally. Sadly, being cooped up there day in and day out can be tiring. Which is why she usually ends up at the café.

The owner, John Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday, a man who thinks that dressing like a 1800’s cowboy is fashionable along with sporting a mustache, also a mutual friend between the Earps sisters, stood behind the counter and watched the eldest Earp try to get her sisters attention. It became a daily basis to see how long it would take for Waverly to notice that her sister was talking to her. But today, it seemed different. The younger woman wasn’t focused on her schoolwork but was rather nervous about something. Doc had picked up on it a couple of days ago. Especially when the brunette, who’s usual is coffee with regular cream and sugar, became a herbal tea.

Wynonna realized that her sister was on whole other planet and decided that getting a coffee for herself was a good idea. Turning around, she noticed Doc watching them and gave him small smile. In which he returned it.

“Howdy there darling.”

“Hi Doc. How long how she been at this time?” Wynonna asked. Worried about Waverly.

“I reckon she showed up around eight this morning. Though she hasn’t worked much on that there schoolwork of hers.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, something is bothering the poor girl and she cant keep her focus on anything.”

“Thanks for telling me. I’ll take the usual if you don’t mind?”

The mustached gentlemen nodded and went about making the coffee. Within a minute, Wynonna had her second ‘life line’ in her hands. She paid Doc and walked backed over to her sister. Who was still being distant. It concerned her to see Waverly like this. It was abnormal for the younger woman to not be able to work on her projects.  
  
She had noticed the change in her sister after sending her on a run, a couple of days ago. Waverly seemed like her normal self that night when they went to Shorty’s to have some drinks. But even Wynonna could tell that her baby sister had something else on her mind. She didn’t dare to try to push her to talk about it. Now though, it seemed like it was a good time as any to try and figure out what was bothering her so much.

She sat on the couch next to Waverly and flicked her armed. The darker brunette chuckled when she watched her sister practically jump five feet out her skin. The younger woman muttered ‘Jesus Christ’ under her breath, while trying to regulate her breathing again. Once it had gone back to normal, she smacked Wynonna on the arm. Hard.

“What the hell, Waves?” The older sister rubbed her arm.

“That’s for scaring the living crap out of me.” Waverly barked at her sister.

“How else was I going to get your attention?” Wynonna retorted.

“I don’t freaking know. But stop giving me heart attacks, will you?”

“Won’t make any promises, Babygirl.. Anyways, what’s got you so wound up, huh? Doc told me you haven’t been thinking straight since you got here hours ago.” The eldest Earp said with concern for her baby sister.

Waverly stared at her older sister. She didn’t know how tell her that she wrote a letter to a stranger. Not just any stranger though. Someone who worked for the military. In which Wynonna despises. The brunette bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. She slowly told her what happened and that the reason for her being out of it, was due to being nervous.

Waverly didn’t know if this Captain Haught would even write back to her. Hell, she didn’t even know if this woman even read her letter. It bothered her to no ends and she down right hated it.

So, Waverly decided to tread lightly on the subject. Opting the part about this person being in the military altogether. If she received a letter back, then maybe, she would tell her sister the truth. The brunette knows it wrong to keep this vital information from her, but Waverly is just to nervous and really doesn’t want to argue with her right now.

“So yea. That’s why I can’t seem to focus.”

“Don’t worry about it, sis. I’m surprised you did it in the first place but good for you for trying to make friends with a pen pal.”

“Thanks.. I think.” Waverly said. Guilt forming in the back of her mind.

  
**____________________**

 

_ Monday, August 8, 2016~ Holliday Café; Purgatory, Maine — 7:10 p.m. (EST) _

Right before Waverly’s started her shift that morning, she had check the mail. Usually the mail didn’t show up until around noontime but something told her to check anyways. Surprisingly enough, the gut feeling that she had was right. At the time it worried her. Now, it petrified the hell out of her.

That morning the brunette received a letter. Something that she hoped she would get but at the same time, didn’t expect it at all. During her shift, she pulled the envelope out of her apron that she wore and stared at it. Debating on opening it and reading the letter while Shorty’s was slowing down, periodically. Though every time she flipped the envelope over to open it, a new patron would come in and sit at the bar.

Other times, it was a debating battlefield in her mind. She was scared and excited but also extremely nervous. _It’s just a letter._ Waverly reminded herself. _A simple letter. Just open it you coward. The worst thing it could say is to leave them alone._ Once again, her brain had won on being scared and she put the envelope back into her apron.

Now, she was sitting in the back of the café while holding the the envelope in her hands. Her heart was pounding as if she was going to jump off a cliff with no bungee jumping equipment attached to her. The battlefield had returned and it bothered her. She couldn’t believe how nervous she was. But the thing was, she was nervous in a exciting way. Something that she hasn’t felt in awhile. Finally, she got her nerves under control and opened it. Hazel eyes skimming over the letter and smiling, as she began to read.

_Wednesday, August 3, 2016  
_

_Dear Ms. Earp,_

_When I woke up this morning, I was definitely not expecting a hand written letter from a woman with the most intriguing name I’ve ever heard. I hate to be so forward but, Waverly is beautiful name.  
_

_Eight languages is quite impressive. Any particular reasons for knowing/learning them? History is good too. Which time era do you like most? Is there a specific region of history that draws your attention more? Novel? Wouldn’t mind me asking what you’re writing about or what genre it’ll fall under? Sorry that’s a lot of questions. Back to introducing myself.  
_

_As you already know, I’m Captain Haught, but you call me Nicole. I am 26 years old and from Texas. Though I’m from the south, I actually went to Norwich University in Vermont. Studied criminal justice and minored in forensic psychology. I also did ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) while being there. I joined the Marines and was shipped to boot camp a week after my college graduation. Since then, I’ve spent most of my time in the Eastern part of the world.. Basically where ever the war is. After four years of being over seas, my command decided to place me here, to train new enlisted members. There will be times that I’ll be doing recruiting duty. Not as much fun but usually lower enlisted members do it, but I volunteered. Needed a changed of pace.  
_

_I’m kinda surprise I just wrote you that. I mean it’s not a bad thing, but I’ve never told anyone. Feels nice to let someone else know though. Can I trust you to keep that information to yourself? It’s vital information and if a lot of people find out, it could end terribly on my behalf.  
_

_Purgatory, huh? (And a sash even. Good to know.) The base I’m currently stationed at isn’t to far away. Which I assume you already know that considering you hand delivered this letter. It wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve gotten letters from strangers, but usually they are from kids in school. To be writing back to an adult is kind of refreshing. So unless you secretly have something against military members or you secretly know me and is trying to hurt me, I don’t think you’re a psychopath. Not yet at least.  
_

_Also you wouldn’t be referring to Widows State Park would you be? I run there often because the scenery is better than the base. Quieter there too, for the most part at least. Just to let you know, your letter and random rambling, did put a smile on my face. It’s nice to be able to talk/write to someone who genuinely cares about people who serve for their country. Looking forward to hearing from you again, Waverly Earp. I mean if you want to, of course...  
_

_And shit tickets? Interesting choice of words._

_Sincerely Your Friend,  
_

_Captain Nicole Haught  
_

 

Waverly’s smile grew more and more. Not only was the Captain happy about getting her letter, she actually wanted to continue writing to each other. All the fears that the shorter woman had come up with, faded away like night and day. Trying to remember why she was so scared in the first place. Even though she damn well knew why she was, but at the current moment, the brunette didn’t want to think about it.

 _Captain Nicole Haught. A name that I probably wont be able to forget. A name that I quite frankly, don’t want to forgot about either. At least she seems friendly. But most importantly, I can breath again and not have to worry about hyperventilating._ Waverly thought.

Staring down at the letter again, she rereads the letter a couple more times. Memorizing every word in it. It was a bit extreme, but the youngest Earp didn’t care. In the back for her mind, it would make it easier to write a follow up then have to continue looking back and forth between letters, just to remember what the other person said. Every time she read through it, her smile some how managed to take over her entire face. Not that it bothered her, of course. She was truly ecstatic about receiving a letter from a woman named, Nicole Haught.

From across the café, Doc was periodically checking on the youngest Earp. When the woman came in, not to long ago, she looked like a nervous wreck. Just waiting for someone or something to do anything that would break her. Making her literally come undone and explode. It was rare to see Waverly like this. She was easily put together but it always seemed like it was forced. Like she had to be this way, just to fit in. The cowboy always wondered why she was like this, but he never dared to ask. He felt like it wasn’t his place to say something. He also wondered if anyone else noticed that the brunette was this way. More importantly, Doc wondered if her family noticed as well.

Doc watched Waverly’s emotions change when she opened a mysterious envelope that she pulled out of her purse. He couldn’t believe the smile that shone on her face. To him, her smile resembled a Christmas tree. One moment it’s dull and really nothing to look at, then at the flick of a switch, its the most beautiful thing in the world. What ever Waverly was reading, it caused that kind of affect. Something he hadn’t seen in quite some time. What ever cause it, Doc was happy to see his friend smile. An actual real genuine smile.

  
**____________________**

 

_ Monday, August 8, 2016~ Waverly’s Apartment; Purgatory, Maine — 7:45 p.m. (EST) _

Music was playing softly, sounds of other people’s voices coming from downstairs and Waverly was trying to work on her class work that was due next week. This was her third year of college but with pure determination over the last three years, she was going to graduate with the class of 2017. The brunette always liked a challenged and when Wynonna told her that she couldn’t possibly graduate college a year early, before even getting her high school diploma, Waverly made it her mission to prove her sister wrong. Though the younger Earp wont start gloating until after her college graduation.

Sadly, her mind and thoughts were not connecting. Waverly’s mind was telling her to work on her paper while her thoughts went straight to the letter that was still tucked away in her purse. Knowing the inevitable, the hazel eyed girl got up from her small kitchen table and went to purse that was sitting on the bed. Flopping down next it, she grabbed it and reread it for the twentieth time that day.

“Nicole Haught, I don’t even know you and I can’t seem to get you off my mind.” Waverly said to herself.

Leaning over to her night stand, the college student opened the top drawer and pulled out some paper and a pen. Along with the clip board so she could write while lying in bed. School work was long forgotten.

**____________________**

 

_ Monday, August 8, 2016~ Waverly’s Apartment; Purgatory, Maine — 9:03 p.m. (EST) _

Multiple pieces of paper, a few choice words here and there, and over an hour later, Waverly had finally finished writing her second letter to Captain Haught. The first time she wrote to her, it wasn’t as difficult. She took her time and to be honest, she really didn’t think about it. The brunette kinda just let everything flow through her. Not having to think twice about it. Even though she probably should have. The letter was seemingly ridiculous and embarrassing. But there was no turning back. She had already put it inside the envelope and sealed it closed.

Sure, she could wrote another letter but Waverly figured it would of been ten times more embarrassing than the last one. The hazel eyed woman was not taking the chance though. So she quickly put it in the envelope and closed it before she doubted herself even more.

Now it was a matter of giving herself enough courage to actually deliver that one simple letter. It took every ounce she had to do it too. Her nerves were though the roof, so Waverly didn’t get a whole lot of sleep that night and it took all morning and a small amount of the early afternoon to finally get into her Jeep and drive to the base.

But now, days later, a smile that could light up the world as she finally finishes the letter that she’d been writing and rewriting. To her, it had to be perfect. No rambling, no awkwardness, nothing to make her seem like some crazy lunatic. It was bad enough she called herself a psychopath and made a complete fool out of herself. But apparently it didn’t scare the Captain away. So she was safe there. For now.

Folding up the letter and sealing the envelope, Waverly wrote down the address that Nicole gave her. Once again she caught herself smiling. She had a new friend. A pen pal friend. _Maybe I’ll meet you someday. I mean, we do live near each other. Shouldn’t be that hard to possibly run into each other. Should it?_

**____________________**

 

_ Monday, August 8, 2016~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 8:30 p.m. (EST) _

It might be early into the evening, but it never to early for Wynonna Earp to have a shot whiskey. Considering she lived off of whiskey and donuts everyday and all day. How she hasn’t died from health and liver problems from poor eating habits is beyond her. But it never bother her anyways.

Wynonna was sitting at the bar, hoping her baby sister would come back down from her apartment, but it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen. Waverly had told her she was busy and had to write up something that was important. What, she didn’t know. She saw Shorty walking back to bar from doing a round to check on drinks.

“Shorty!” The older Earp called over to him.

“Wynonna.” Shorty answered back.

“Any idea what’s so important to write that Waverly wont even spend time with her sister?” She asked.

“She’s in college, Wynonna. You tell me?’

“She told be yesterday she was done with most those assignments and she would have drinks me tonight.”

Before shorty could even answer, Curtis, who had just came back from the kitchen to place an order, had fired back to the Earp. “Might be writing to that Captain who responded back to her letter.”

“Captain?” Wynonna said confusingly.

“Yes Captain. She’s new to the Ghost River Triangle Base and your sister, thought it would be nice to welcome her. Figuring a letter would be a nice gesture.” Curtis responded.

“She’s writing to someone in the military?” The Earp slowly said.

“She didn’t tell you?” Shorty asked. He was confused and could of sworn he remembered Waverly telling him that Wynonna knew. Of course, she didn’t mention that she told her sister the military part. Which wouldn’t be surprising, knowing Wynonna’s past.

“No, she didn’t.” The older Earp said flatly. With that, she slammed the glass, that was now empty in her hand, on the counter. Pushed herself off the stool she was sitting on and walked out of Shorty’s. Slamming the door behind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liam Webster is Nicole’s mothers brother. The email is significant to this. 
> 
> Chapter three is also completed. What I am planning on doing is, once I have at least half of the next chapter written, I’ll post again.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some sisterly angst and a little bit of Nicole’s past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated all three chapters. Silly me forgot to italic parts where they are internally talking to themselves. Oops!

_Friday, August 12, 2016 ~ Waverly’s Apartment; Purgatory, Maine — 9:15 a.m. (EST)_

Five days. It had been five days since Waverly last seen her sister. It was normal for Wynonna to leave for days, but at least she’d give her a heads up if she did. Ever since her older sister took off for three years after the little Earps seventeenth birthday, without so much of a call, Wynonna made sure to let people know where she was after she came home a year ago.

What was bothering her more, was that everyone but her, knew where she was. _Did I did do something wrong? Say something that upset her? What did I do to make her leave again? Why wont she just answer my calls or reply to my texts?_ Tears started to stream down Waverly’s face as the questions in her head started to get worst. _Does she not want to be here anymore? Does she not want to be around me anymore?_

Nobody would tell her anything. It was driving her utterly insane. She just wanted to know where her big sister was. Between Wynonna and her oldest sister, Willa, the middle child treated her better. Actually cared about her. Wasn’t cruel to her when she came out at sixteen(just before her seventeen birthday). Though Waverly always thought that when her older sister left, it was because she didn’t approve of her being gay. No thanks to her the oldest Earp. Thankfully that wasn’t case. Wynonna had told her that she was proud of her little sister when she came back for her twentieth birthday. Tears were shed that day. Not just for Wynonna’s return, but the fact that Waverly was beating herself up for three years and never had to in the first place. Her sister was proud of her.

After five days though, the brunette was at her breaking point. She wanted answers. Needed them actually. If she had to bring the entire town down just to get them, she was going to do it. But, Waverly wanted to try looking for Wynonna first.

**____________________**

 

_Friday, August 12, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 9:20 a.m. (EST)_

Descending the stairs from her apartment and seeking out a certain salt and pepper hair woman, Waverly found her aunt in the back part of Shorty’s.

“Gus! I need to talk to you!” Waverly yelled.

“What about darling?” Gus responded back.

“Why did Wynonna take off again?” The brunette questioned. A hint of sadness in her voice.

“I honestly don’t know sweetheart. Your uncle and Shorty wont tell me and I guess they wont tell you either.”

“It seems no one wants to tell me anything when it comes my sister, but it does make me feel better that they wont tell you either.”

“I can tell you what I do now though.” Gus offered.

“And what’s that?” Waverly sounded hopeful.

“Her bike was spot near there.”

“You mean?..”

Gus nodded. She didn’t have to say anymore to clarify what she meant. Waverly already knew.  


**____________________**

 

_Friday, August 12, 2016 ~ The Homestead; Purgatory, Maine — 9:51 a.m. (EST)_

Of all the places Wynonna Earp could of gone, she chose the one place most people wouldn’t go back to. So many bad memories were left there and yet there was hardly any good ones to remember. The start of good one always ended badly. No matter what the situation was, it always ended the same way.

It been “years” since the middle Earp had been to this place. It always made her uncomfortable thinking about going back home. Home? Not really the proper word for it. More like ‘house of hell’. Wynonna figured that if she was going to get away from everything, but also not leave town at the same time, she figured that no one would come around to the ‘murder house’.

Unfortunately, her peace and quiet ended. It lasted almost a week. Not nearly enough time away from anyone. More like, a certain person. One who kept something from her. Though, Wynonna didn’t blame her. It still hurt to think to that her own sister couldn’t tell her that.

Pulling up the driveway of the homestead was a red Jeep. The darker brunette knew who it was. She wasn’t really ready to deal with her right now, but she no longer had a choice at this point.

“Wynonna!” The older Earp heard Waverly yell from outside. “I’m not going in there and I’m not leaving until you talk to me.. why are you even here anyways?”

Wynonna signed. Dropping here head down in front of her. She was exhausted. Barely getting any sleep since arriving to the homestead Monday night. Even when completely drunk, she couldn’t seem to go to sleep. It took another bottle of whiskey to make herself blackout, long enough to also make her pass out until early Tuesday afternoon.

“Off to fury road.” Wynonna murmured to herself. “Might as well get this over with.”

Shaking her head and slowly making her way to the front door, the middle Earp opened to her little sister standing in front of her Jeep, arms crossed over her chest. Her sister looked the way she felt, uncomfortable. There was no getting around it. The homestead always had that effect on people. Even before everything happened back when they were kids.

“What do you want, Waves?” The older Earp said coldly.

“Why did you take off and of all places, why here?” Waverly shot back.

“Of all places, why are you here?” Wynonna tried changing tactics. Hoping to change the situation. Even though she knew it was never going to happen.

“Don’t deflect. I hate when you do that.” Waverly responded.

“Well I hate that my sister cant tell me that she’s writing to some Captain in the military.” Wynonna basically barked back. Her anger starting to show.

Waverly gasped. “How did you..”

“Find out?” Wynonna finished her sentence. “While you to busy writing something ‘important’.” She air quoted. “Curtis told me you got a letter back from your Captain. Which you failed to mentioned last week!” She yelled at her little sister.

“What was I suppose to do?” The youngest Earp asked quietly. Almost to quiet for Wynonna to hear her.

“You tell me. Tell me the truth. I shouldn’t have to find out through the grape vine about who your writing to.”

“Why does it even matter who I write to?” Waverly countered.

“Because they’re in the military.” Wynonna fired back.

“So what? Just because you hate everyone who holds a badge doesn’t mean I have to!” Waverly yelled.

Taking in a deep breath, Wynonna let it out slowly. _She’s right. Of course, she’s right. It’s Waverly for god’s sake._

“I just wish you could of told me.” The darker brunette replied at a softer tone.

“I wanted too. But I was scared that you’d be disappointed in me.” The little Earp confessed. Dropping her head forward.

“Waves..” Wynonna started walking towards her sister. When she finally made the last few steps she grabbed Waverly’s wrists gently in her hands. “Look at me please.”

Waverly lifted her head. The moment Wynonna saw her face, she pulled her into a tight embrace. The lighter brunette had streams of tears rolling down her cheeks and more fighting to emerge from her eyes. Once she was embraced by her older sister, the tears that she was fighting to hold back, came streaming down. She couldn’t hold them back anymore. So many different emotions were running through her and she couldn’t keep up with them. But that didn’t matter anymore. Not when her older sister was comforting her and saying the one thing that helped her crying come to an end.

“You can never disappoint me, Babygirl. No matter what. It just surprised me and I was little hurt that you couldn’t tell me. But I understand why, okay.” Wynonna felt her Waverly nod. “You can tell me anything. Sure, I might like what you have to say, but I’ll get over it.. I’m not going to tell you what you can and can not do. You’re an Earp. You’ll go ahead do it anyways.” The both of them chuckled at that statement. The older Earp pulled back, grabbed Waverly’s head and kissed her forehead. Stepping back and putting a little bit of distance between them. “Now, enough of this emotional shit.”

Wynonna started walking away back towards the house. Waverly still wanted to know why she was here, but didn’t want to push her for answers. Deciding that at the very moment, it wasn’t really necessary. She’ll just ask her at another time. Instead, Waverly told her sister that she was gonna go head to the park. Run off her nervous energy and see her back at Shorty’s later during her shift.  


**____________________**

 

_Friday, August 12, 2016 ~ Ghost River Triangle Base; Ghost River, Maine — 12:15 p.m. (EST)_

After what seemed like the longest morning the redhead has had in a while, Nicole was finally able to get some lunch. Working on a base instead of being overseas had its perks. Especially when she has an hour lunch break.

Being a Captain has its perks as well. It’s means that what ever they are serving at the galley, she can have something different. Something that is ten times better. Like lobster or even steak. Anything but what they are serving to enlisted members.

But after having a long morning of routine takeoffs and landing with F-16’s and Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion‘s, Nicole really just needed a break from the base for a little bit. As much as she loves flying, there’s only so much one person can take. Even when you have someone who is yelling in her ear through the headset. Someone who is apparently having a bad day and taking it out on everyone else. Unfortunately for her, its one her Generals and the redhead has to keep her mouth shut. Unless she wants to go to admirals mast. The only thing that is making her day better is a letter from Waverly Earp. Which she is now able to read in the confines of her truck.

_Monday, August 8th, 2016_

_Hello again,_

_To be completely honest, I definitely didn’t think you’d write me back. Like you said yourself, you usually write to kids, not adults. But I’m glad I was able to be a nice change of pace for you.  
_

_Nicole Haught? I like it. It’s definitely better than what my parents originally wanted to name me. My sister Wynonna, told me they were gonna name me Welcome. Thank god she convinced them not to! Could you imagine growing up with a transitive verb as your name.. Did you know that your first name means ‘victory of the people’? Seems fitting for you. Especially with you being in the service..  
_

_Growing up in a small town and occasionally going to the city, I always heard at least one different language. It wasn’t that I wanted to know what they saying, I just always thought that it was beautiful to hear it. Soo, I know French, Spanish, Greek and Hebrew. Ancient languages: Sumerian, Latin, Sanskrit and ancient Egyptian. The reason why I chose to learn those languages is because I love ancient history. For my senior high school project, we had to pick a topic and of course that is what I chose. My history teacher told me I couldn’t do that due to the fact I could basically recite the entire history book. He gave me a proposition though. Pick a different time era or something entirely different. After I told him that I do ancient era, he then continued to tell me that to get the correct information I’d have to learn dead languages because most of the books were in Latin. Proceeding in his ‘wonderful’ thoughts, the asshat that he is, said it would be impossible to do so. Meaning I was forced to pick a new subject. Being an Earp, means I am an determine little fucker and I was gonna prove that asshole wrong. Which I totally did. Got a 100 on my report AND on graduation day, diploma in hand, I went up to him told him he was an ass in Latin, flipped him off and walked away with a smile on face. Totally worth learning and I like being fluent in dead languages. Well, four of them at least.  
_

_The novel, I’m leaning towards a adventure action pack kind of story. Which is ironic because I’ve never traveled before. Got any ideas? Being in the military, I can only imagine what countries you’ve been to. Though your letter stats that you probably weren’t able to explore like you would of wanted to. Which reminds me, thank you for all that you do. I appreciate you serving for our country and then want to continue by joining law enforcement.  
_

_Texas? Does mean you have a southern drawl accent? Would love to hear that! Now college? Why so far away from home and where there’s snow? Don’t get me wrong, snow is magnificently beautiful to look at when it first comes down but I am someone who does not enjoys the cold. So you being from Texas, I can imagine what your first Winter was like. Why criminal justice and psychology? Does ROTC help you become an officer faster than the regular serving time? I know I can look up the information, god only knows I love research, but I actually want to hear from someone who is or has served. Makes the learning more fascinating that way, I think. Also, how long does it take to make Captain? Do need requirements? What rank is it?  
_

_No, I don’t secretly know you. At least I don’t think I do? But I am going to try my best in not becoming the creepy psychopath. Which reminds Me(again), just to put you at a peace of mind, I didn’t know your actually address up until I opened your letter.  
_

_Widows State park is conveniently the same one I was talking about. I actually go there quite often myself. Maybe we’ve seen each other and just don’t know yet. (Sounds like a good writing idea for my book). Any particular trails you prefer? Do any of the activities there? I hear water skiing is amazeballs. But I haven’t gotten the chance or the guts to do that yet. I usually just go running as well, but I do love going kayaking. Best time is during the sunrise and sunset.  
_

_Looking forward to your next letter and please, Waverly is fine. Ms. Earp makes me sound so much older.  
_

_Interesting choice of words. Ha! Guess it just means you’ve been hanging around some boring people then._

  
Your friend,

_Waverly Earp_

_  
P.S: I didn’t ramble this time! Score one for me!!_

_Oh balls, that means I’m with tied with a letter._

 

  
Nicole grinned. She wasn’t one to be pen pals with anyone but she couldn’t help the warm feeling she got when receiving another letter from Waverly Earp. Which then got her thinking about both letters that she has gotten. _God, this woman is intriguing and has the most entertaining vocabulary I’ve ever heard. Which is surprising since I’ve been in the service for quite some time now._

Looking at the clock on the dashboard, Nicole groans. Amazingly enough she cant wait to get home and respond back to Waverly. Usually the redhead loved being at work. Some would say, that she is a workaholic. At times, when she was stationed overseas, she would literally work all day. Starting from five in the morning to ten at night. To her, sleep was overrated. Considering the Captain would be asleep by ten thirty and wake up at four the next morning to get ready for the work day. There wasn’t enough hours in the day when your in the middle of a war zone. Which is why Nicole worked seventeen hours a day, everyday for the last four years.

Only now, she wasn’t in a war zone. She was state side. More specifically, state of Maine. A state that didn’t have big urban areas like New York City or Las Vegas. It was calm compared to those cities. Nothing but trees, some lakes, ponds, rivers and deers. So many deers. Which reminded her of something.

The park. Widow State Park. The same park that is mentioned in her letters with Waverly. The same one she goes to to go running. It’s quiet and peaceful. Just the way she likes it.

Nicole pulled out her phone and checked the weather for tomorrow. Nice and sunny. _I’m_ _gonna_ _go_ _running in the morning._ _Perfect day to do it._ Looking at the clock again, the Captain shakes her head. _12:19. Three hours and 41 minutes until I’m off work... Well, might as well go get lunch._

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, October 31, 1998 ~ Gun Range; Houston, Texas — 7:15 p.m. (CT)_

Kids of all ages dressed in costumes walk the streets of the city while an eight year Nicole spends her time shooting guns. It’s not like she wants to be doing that. No, she’d rather be out trick or treating with the rest of the kids. Collecting as much candy as she can and end up with a sugar coma by the end of the night. That’s what she wants to do, but can’t.

“Sir, why am I doing this? Why can’t I be out on Halloween like everyone else?” The little eight old whined.

“Because you don’t need candy. You need to know how to properly use a gun.” Her father stated.

“But I’ve been doing this since I was four and not once have I gone trick or treating.” Nicole continued to whine.

“You’re going to learn how to protect yourself. Now stop your whining and continue shooting.” Her father said sternly.

Nicole signed. “Yes sir.” She turned away from her father and picked up the 9mm gun. Pointing it at the target and pulling the tigger.

Her ears begin to ring from the sound of the gun going off. She knows she’s suppose to wear protective ear muffs but doesn’t. Nicole was always told that wearing them would make her weak. No one was going to wait for her to put them on just so she could fire back. As much as the sound hurt her ears, there was nothing the eight year old could do. Except to deal with the massive migraine that she’ll soon get.

All she could do now, was accept the fact that she wasn’t going to do anything fun tonight. Shooting guns were considered fun every once in while but having to do it three days week, every week became a chore. Accepting this, even at a young age, that she wasn’t going to have a normal childhood, was the only thing she could do. It was hard to acknowledge but Nicole had no choice. It was what her father wanted her to do and she wanted to make him proud.  


**____________________**

 

_Monday, December 25, 1999 ~ Haught Residence; Houston, Texas — 8:43 a.m. (CT)_

Christmas Day had finally arrived. Nine year old Nicole could only imagine what her folks had gotten her. Last year she got her first gun. Not that an eight year old should own their own gun or a holster for it. Like they would have it concealed on them at all times. As if it was legal from them to carry.

Sitting on the floor, the little girl sat near the tree. Which is surprising they have up. The Haught’s never really got into the Christmas spirit and did decorations. Including putting up a tree. Nicole didn’t mind though. She got use it before her sixth birthday.

Little Nicole’s mother walked over to her. Handing her a few presents. Which the little girl took her time unwrapping. Opening the box, Nicole was confused. Sitting inside was a pair of boxing gloves. She didn’t voice why she gotten them. Just continued to open the presents that she had.

Come to find out, every single present that the nine year old got, was related to boxing. A couple of pairs of boxing gloves, hand and speed wraps, head gear, mouth guards, even her own speed and punching bag to put in her room. Don’t get her wrong, she liked getting presents but receiving gear for boxing or mix martial arts, had her completely dumbfounded.

“Mom. Sir. Thank you for the presents. Though I am slightly confused as to why I got these?”

“It was your fathers and grandfathers idea sweetheart.” Her mother told her.

“What idea?” The nine year old asked.

“Your old enough now to start training. Know how to protect herself, properly. Not just with a gun.” Father Haught responded.

“So I’m taking classes then?” Nicole asked slowly. Trying to understand.

“Yes. Starting on your birthday, after school. You will be reporting to the gym. After that, you will be going there Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Friday’s.” Nicole’s father said. In the tone that she knew as ‘no questions about it. You’ll do as I say’.

“Yes Sir. Thank you, Sir and thank you, mom.”

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, August 13, 2016 ~ Widows State Park; Purgatory, Maine — 6:00 a.m. (EST)_

The dark sky was starting to turn to a yellowish pink color as the sun started to rise. Waverly woke up early in the morning. She didn’t want to, but her body told her otherwise. There was no going back to sleep for her and she knew it. So deciding on an early morning run through the park would do.

The hazel eyed woman actually preferred it. Only a couple of people went to the park this early in the morning. No one in Purgatory was a morning person. Not unless your job told you to be. Most people, including herself, didn’t like to be awake before nine. Even her own sister. Although, Wynonna didn’t like to wake up before noon. Especially after a night of heavy drinking. But, she was getting better. Now she woke up any where between nine and eleven in the morning.

Running down one of the trails, Waverly thinks about everything that she has going on. Between school work, her up coming birthday in a couple of weeks, (like anyone will actually remember this time) possibly getting another letter from Captain Haught, and trying to focus on the music she’s listening too, the brunette isn’t really paying attention to what she’s doing. Well, to where she’s going actually.

Without even realizing it, Waverly almost accidentally runs into someone. She manages to run around them. Smoothly, believe it or not. But what catches her eye when going past this person is there bright red hair. The hazel eyed woman chances a glance at the person she’s passing a notices that they’re tall. Wait! Was that woman? Shit, I didn’t get a good enough look and there is no way I’m turning around now. Not after almost plowing into them for not paying attention.

Knowing the park as well as she did, Waverly spies one of the secret trails that she found a couple of years ago. Deciding that it was a good idea to hide, well run, from her embarrassment, she takes a quick turn and starts running faster down the new trail.

+++

 _Holy shit!_ Nicole’s heart rate spiked up after she almost got taken out by another runner. Someone who was much shorter than her and had brown hair. That was a woman. She quickly turns around. Almost tripping over her own feet in the process. But once she did her one eighty, the woman that ran passed her, was gone.

 _Where hell did she go? Please tell me I didn’t just imagine all that? That would be crazy. Right? Imagining a pretty woman running me over. Literally even. I think I need to sleep more and work less if my mind is playing tricks on me._ Nicole looks around. Scanning the trail that she’s on. She knows that there isn’t any connecting trails where she is. The only thing she can think of is that the woman took off into the woods.

_Maybe I’ll see her again. No! Don’t think like that. You know you cant get involved with anyone. Your life is to complicated, Haught. So don’t even think about it.._

The redhead turns back around and continues her run. Trying and failing not to think to much about being in a relationship. More importantly, the pretty brunette that almost flatten her on her ass.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter is pretty significant. Also homophobia at its finest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: My Way: Limp Bizkit

_Tuesday, August 16, 2016 ~ The Homestead; Purgatory, Maine — 2:00 p.m. (EST)_

“Wynonna why are there handcuffs in.. You know what? Never mind.” Waverly yelled from her sisters old bedroom.

Laughter filled the two story ranch home. Wynonna was in the kitchen cleaning when she heard her sister. The older Earp couldn’t help but laugh. She completely forgot that she had left them there. It had been a couple of weeks since she had them last but also hid them as well. Apparently Waverly discovered them. Which her reaction to it only made her laugh harder.

“Where did you find them?” Wynonna asked whilst still laughing.

“Top draw of the dresser.” Waverly came walking out of the room. Her face as red as a tomato. If not a couple of shades darker. “I don’t want to know why and I certainly don’t want to who or when you used to use them!”

“Actually it was a couple of weeks ago.” The older Earp chuckled.

Realizing what her older sister had said and admitted to, Waverly wanted to drink bleach to get the mental image out of her head that her sister was at the homestead with some guy. Also using said handcuffs.

“Wait! How long have you been coming here?” The brunette asked. The moment the words left her mouth, she cringed. She knew her sister was going have some type of crude comment. Surprisingly enough, it never came.

Wynonna’s demeanor changed. Her body tensed and her face turned cold. She tried to not let the question get to her. Hell, she should of had some sexual come back. But she couldn’t think of any. Which is odd. Snarky comments tends to be her thing. Unfortunately she knew, now was not the time for that.

“I’ve been coming here for the past year.” The older woman spoke so softly that Waverly almost didn’t hear her. Almost.

  
_A year? How could she be coming here for the past year? Why has she? Not like anything good ever happened here. How come she never told me?_ So many questions were running through the youngest Earps mind. The one that stood out though, was why?

“Wynonna, what’s the point in coming here?” She asked flatly.

“Because its our home. Sure, shitty memories but its still home. I don’t like living in town to be begin with. Willa is coming home in a few months. I hate my apartment and I’m tired of being afraid of this. That’s why I’ve been coming here. I just want happy memories.”

“I’m sorry, did you say Willa is coming home?” Now Waverly was the one who tensed up.

“Only for like a week. Which is why I’m gonna try to fix this place up. I don’t have room for her and her boyfriend at my place and she doesn’t want to stay with Curtis and Gus.”

“How long have you know about this?” Waverly said through gritted teeth.

“A month.” The darker brunette said quietly.

“Let me get this straight.. You got pissed at me for not telling you that I’m writing to someone in the military and you couldn’t be bothered to tell me that our older sister is coming home? When were you going to tell me this, huh?”

Waverly felt the anger growing inside her. Of all things to not tell her, it was that. _Willa? Fucking Willa. Great! And she wants me to help clean this hell hole up for **her**? She’s out of her mind!_

As much as Waverly wanted to know that answer, she didn’t want to hear it right now. The tension in the room only got worst as the seconds rolled by. It was so bad you could cut it with a knife and serve it as food. The shorter Earp knew that if she got her answer, she would end up saying something that she would later regret.

“You know what? I don’t want to know.” Waverly hissed.

Opting the argument, the little Earp turned on her heels and started walking towards the door.

“Waves. Wait!” Wynonna called after her sister.

“ _Don’t_ follow me.” Waverly says. Her words laced with so much anger. Slamming the door behind her.

Wynonna was flabbergasted. How could a day start out nice and turn to shit in a matter of seconds. Going over everything in her head, she knew that she should of told Waverly sooner.

Willa and their little sister didn’t exactly get along. The oldest of the three Earps wasn’t overly thrilled to find out that their baby sister was gay. She also wasn’t nice to Waverly when they were kids. Now that she thought of it, Wynonna wasn’t much better either.

Waverly never went into great depths about what Willa did to her. Just ‘Willa tortured me’ and that was that. She never wanted to talk about it. It was dust under the rug and never to be spoken of again. From the looks of it, it was going to stay that way too. She hoped her little sister would come around.

  
**____________________**

 

_Tuesday, August 16, 2016 ~ Widow State Park; Purgatory, Maine — 5:15 p.m. (EST)_

Running. Running. Running. It’s all Waverly could do. Music is blaring in her ears and its the only thing that she wants to focus on.

 _You think you're special, you do_  
_I can see it in your eyes, I can see it when you laugh at me  
Look down on me and walk around on me_

Remembering all the times Willa made fun of her. Made her feel like she was nothing.

 _Just one more fight about your leadership_  
_And I will straight up leave your shit_  
‘Cause I’ve had enough of this  
And now I’m pissed, yeah

Wishing all the times she had the courage to stand up to her oldest sister.

 _This time I'm 'a let it all come out_  
This time I'm 'a stand up and shout  
_I'm 'a do things my way_  
It's my way  
My way, or the highway

Realizing she didn’t want to be pushed around anymore and that she wasn’t going to let it happen again.

 _Just one more fight_  
About a lot of things  
_And I will give up everything_  
To be on my own again  
Free again

She’ll be ready for when the storm comes. If Willa decides to say something, make her feel unimportant, she’s not going to back down. She’ll finally stand up to her. Like she should of done all those years ago.

The song finishes and Waverly’s mood begins to change. She had ran for a few hours. When she left the homestead, the hazel eyed woman went to her apartment and quickly got changed. Silently thanking Gus to herself for not having to work that day. The much needed run to rid her anger, was better than working behind the bar and dealing with drunk idiots all night.

For how angry Waverly was, she almost didn’t take the Jeep. Fearing that the small drive over could easily be her last, from not paying attention. She couldn’t think straight since leaving Wynonna at the homestead. The half hour drive was questionable enough, as she tried to force herself to focus on the road, rather than pulling over and using her Jeep as a personal punching bag. Luckily, she made it to both locations safe and sound.

As for all the doors. Not so much. Waverly slammed them all. Not caring who heard. Gus, Curtis and Shorty, wanted to asked her what was wrong when the little Earp came storming into bar, but after noticing that she looked like she could murder something or someone, they declared against it. That girl was heading towards fury road and it was best to stay clear. Rather to be safe than sorry.

A few minutes had passed. Anger almost completely gone. What did disburse it was seeing a tall redhead. Waverly instantly knew, it was the person that she passed, almost ran into, the other day. This time, the shorter woman was gonna get a better look at this person.

_Red hair. Tall. Well, taller than me. Which doesn’t take much anyways. A woman. A beautiful woman. Oh shit, she just looked at me. Keep running.. Nope, side trial it is._

_**____________________** _

 

_Tuesday, August 16, 2016 ~ Widow State Park; Purgatory, Maine — 5:18 p.m. (EST)_

Another day of touch and goes with the F16’s. Her General was in much better mood today than the last time. Which made the flying go ten times more smoothly. Today, instead of doing solo training, she had a ‘partner’.

The General wanted one of the newer enlisted pilots out with her. Figured if anyone was going to teach anybody how to fly and do it correctly, it was Captain Nicole Haught. Her love for flying and her eagerness to learn how to, was what made her one of the best pilots in the Marines.

The newest pilot was also as eager as she was back eight years ago. When she first went to flight school. Then after joining the Marines, four years ago, Nicole learned how to fly fighter jets and helicopters. The cargo planes were simple. They’re no different than civilian planes or jets. Just military grade instead.

On the drive home, the Captain thought a much needed run through the park was a good idea. Though she did have some ulterior motives. Since Saturday, she couldn’t help but think of the short woman that had passed her. Nicole was kind of hoping to be able to see her again.

What she didn’t know, was that her hopeful wishing would come true. Only difference was was that this woman seemed to be checking her out or at least looking in her direction. Nicole chanced a couple of glances herself. The shorter woman was absolutely gorgeous.

The woman’s hair was pulled into a ponytail. By the looks of it, it was done quickly. Though the Captain couldn’t really be sure. She didn’t want to stare. Even if she really wanted to. But also didn’t dare to either.

After they had passed each other, Nicole turned around. Hoping to say something this time. She wanted to introduce herself. Get to know this woman. Maybe become friends with them. It was weird though. The redhead was usually closed off. Wasn’t big on letting people into her life. She didn’t even like having her military buddies close. Nobody knew much about her. Which is how she liked it. But wanting to know this woman, a woman that she literally knew nothing about, scared her. It was the first time in a long time, she wanted someone else to know who she was. Well, other than her new pen pal/friend, Waverly Earp. After turning around though, the shorter woman was once again. Gone.

**____________________**

 

_Wednesday, September 12, 2012 ~ McCready Ranch; Purgatory, Maine — 11:09 a.m. (EST)_

It was only just days after her birthday and Waverly was pacing around her bedroom. A couple of days prior to her seventeenth birthday, she had told everyone her big secret. The one that she had been hiding for almost two years. Afraid of how her family would take it.

It was one of the hardest days of her life, but also felt like a new beginning for her as well. Saying “I’m gay”, was uplifting and refreshing. Not having to hide anymore. Waverly was so nervous after that that she jumped when both Curtis and Gus hugged her.

Wynonna had taken it well. Just a “Good for you kid. Go get some,” and that was it. Figuring that was all she was gonna get too. Willa on the other hand, was who she was waiting for to reply. The oldest Earp was known to make homophobic comments every now and again, trying to sound funny. Joking if you will. But the brunette could tell that she was serious. That her eldest sister was indeed homophobic. Though her response that day, never came. Fear filled the little Earp. All she could do now, was wait.

Days later, Wynonna had left. Leaving Waverly behind with Willa. Scared of what might happen now that the middle Earp was gone.

“You know you’re disgusting, right?” Willa said from Waverly’s bedroom door. Her words laced with venom.

The little Earp stopped in her tracks. Frozen to the floor. Waverly willed herself to move but it wasn’t going to happen. All the nerves in her body made her tremble. When ever Willa talked to her, it was always the same thing. Body going stiff, blood running cold, knots forming in her stomach to the point of wanting to vomit, and her heart thumping in her chest. She was literally a small bundle of nervous energy. One touch and it would be all over. Panic attack and hyperventilating would be at its finest. No one there to help her except for her oldest sister, who didn’t care what happened to her.

“I could say the same thing about you, too.” Waverly was surprised by her own bravado. Wincing at the thought of Willa hitting her or worse. Forcing her do something that she doesn’t really want to do.

“Mama and daddy would be so disappointed in you. Your lucky you already live here and have uncle Curtis and Gus eating out of the palms of your hands. They’re as almost confused as you.”

“I’m not confused.” Waverly proudly told her sister.

“Yes you are. Wanting to be with a woman isn’t right. It’s absolutely disgusting and you wonder why Wynonna took off.” Willa crossed her arms, leaning against the door frame.

“What are you talking about?” The seventeen year wondered. Turning to see the amused look on Willa’s face.

Her face turned serious. “Wynonna left because of you. She didn’t want to be around you. Become infected by you.”

“It’s not a disease.” Tears started to rolled down Waverly’s face. Trying to hold back the sob that threaten to come out.

“Sure it isn’t. Then again, our sister left just days after your little announcement. She doesn’t want to become infected by you. The pure look of disappointment was written all over her face.” With that, Willa left and walked towards her room. A smirk never leaving her lips.

“You’re wrong. She accepted me. I know she did.” The youngest Earp whispered to herself. Falling to the floor and curling up into ball.

**____________________**

 

_Thursday, August 18, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 3:33 p.m. (EST)_

Waverly had just descended the stairs when Gus and Wynonna came walking into Shorty’s. The shorter brunette had avoided her sister like the plague since finding out about Willa and her appending arrival. Yes, she wanted to fix things and understand why Wynonna kept that information from her. But at this point, she didn’t care anymore. Her anger had passed and just wanted to move on. Which is exactly what was going to happen.

“Sweetheart, you got some mail today.” Gus spoke. Breaking Waverly from her thoughts.

The youngest Earp hadn’t really thought much about getting another letter from Captain Haught. After her argument with Wynonna, all normal thoughts were gone. Also it had been almost two weeks since her first letter.

Just as Gus was handing Waverly her mail, Wynonna decided it was a good idea to snatch it away from her.

“Wynonna!” Both Waverly and Gus yelled at her.

“Babygirl, you got another love letter from your Captain.”

“It’s not a love letter.” Waverly said while taking her letter away from her.

Not wasting another moment, Waverly tore open the envelope and started reading.

_Saturday, August 13, 2016_

_  
Waverly,_

_Welcome Earp? Certainly doesn’t have the same ring to it. It’s not as beautiful either. Victory of People? I didn’t know that. Of course I’ve also never had the need to look up my first name before either.. So I can’t help but notice your address. Shorty’s? Isn’t that a bar? I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why is that your mailing address?_

_Remind me to never doubt you or question your knowledgeability. Though I am sorry that your teacher did that to you. The fact you were able to learn and retain all of that is poignant. Do you plan on using all that knowledge? Especially being a history major. Do you plan on becoming a teacher or professor? You could always become a translator for the government. Though, I believe they are looking for people who know Russian, Korean, and Arabic. So if you ever want to learn some more languages and have an interest in translating, I would recommend starting there. Going by your story, I could take you as a historian at a museum. Just from what you told me, you seem like a perfect match for that._

_When it comes books, I’ve always loved a good mystery. Adventure action packs are always good too. You’ve never traveled before? Sorry to hear to that. Maybe someday you will. I’m not one for many ideas. Story writing is not my forte. I’ve actually tried doing it before and quite frankly, I think it ended up mocking me. Like I legitimately believe, it laughed at me. It was so horrible. A five year old could of wrote a better story than me. Sad part was, I only wrote one chapter and stopped. The irony of this, is that I wrote in a journal almost everyday. I can write about my day but I can not write a fictional story for the life of me. So all the power to you and I hope you have so much more luck than me._

_Yes, Texas and I’ll leave you to imagining if I have a southern accent or not. I have many reason as to why I chose a college far away from there. I chose Norwich University because it is one of the best military universities in the U.S. Criminal justice because once I’m done serving my time, I will go on to serving in the police force. I will probably end up in a small town just because I’ve never been big on cities. Considering I lived in one my entire life. Psychology, because it is better to understand people and their behavior when working in my line of duty. Communication is key in any situation, but when forced going into a situation blind, you need to be level headed and be able to get into someone’s mind just through talking. ROTC does indeed help you become an officer faster because the requirements is four years of college. They tend to look for those you studied to be a lawyer or air traffic control. Additional requirements is having a score of 115 or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and pass physical fitness test._

_So to become a Captain, is you must be in the Marines for a minimum of four years to be considered for a promotion to captain. Two year of which are spent fulfilling the role of first lieutenant(same requirements follow as becoming first lieutenant: you have to have a degree). It's conceivable, then, that if you join after earning your degree, you can become a captain in as few as four years. After my four years of college I became second lieutenant(they count backwards in the military) which is grade O-1. After two years, which is required time, I was then promoted to first lieutenant, O-2. After another two years, which is actually this year for me, I was promoted to Captain. They gave me the option to become Captain a year ago if I had taken a test, but refused to do so. I’d rather be treated as equally as everyone else rather than get special treatment just because I do well at my job. By the way, Captain is O-3._

_As much as I am used to warm weather, it feels nice being around when it’s cold. My maternal grandparents used to lived here in Maine. During Christmas break, I would visit them. I fell in love with the snow. Snowboarding, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling are my favorite. Hell I’ve even tried ice fishing. I like it but I don’t like sitting in a shack for long periods of time. What about you? You said you don’t like the cold, but do like any winter activities? Other than staying warm?_

_Thank you for your kind words Waverly Earp. I don’t hear it very often and it makes me appreciate my job a little more when someone like yourself, praises me for no good reason. To me, I am only doing my job. If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do for a living? Other than being a student and someone’s sister._

_I don’t want to come off as being to forward but maybe, one day, I’ll run into you at the park. Or maybe we have already crossed paths. People say it’s a small world. How’s that for an writing idea? Though I do mean it._

_I tend to run the Lakeshore and Campground trail loop. Like I said before, much better view. Haven’t been able to go kayaking yet. As much as I love it, haven’t been able to find time to do so. Can only imagine what it’s like during the sunset and sunrise._

_You do have a unique way with words. In all my life, I’ve never heard someone use the term ‘amazeballs’ and are you suggesting that I am boring?_

_  
Sincerely Your Friend,_

_Captain Nicole Haught_

_P.S: Are you really keeping score with a letter?_

  
Waverly was so lost in her letter from the Captain, that she never noticed her aunt or her sister walked in front of her. They were both curious about this person the youngest Earp was writing to. It wasn’t like either of them were told much. The little Earp kept to herself when it came to these mysterious letters. Grand it, it was only her second one, but they figured she would of said something by now.

Looking up from the pieces of papers in her hand, Waverly finally saw two sets a of eyes staring at her. She still didn’t want to open up about Nicole. How just a simple letter made her day better. Even a day like today, where she is still upset with her older sister. The letter made her not think about it anymore. Now, it was a matter of thinking of ways of how to respond and hope to get another letter back.

Only thing that would make things better, was actually meeting the Captain. _How would you even put that in a letter though? Hey, I’m still a stranger but we should totally meet up. Let’s get together sometime. Wow, that one sounded like a date offer. Good job, Waves. Try again. I’d like to meet the people I’m writing to? No! Just keep it at writing. I just sound creepy. God, I’m such a wreak._

“So what’s your Captain’s name?” Wynonna asked curiously. Gus nodding in agreement to wanting to know the same answer.

“Her name is Captain Haught and yes, just like the word hot but spelt differently.” Waverly spoke quickly. She knew the older Earp would ask. No different than her when she first heard Nicole’s last name. Only difference is, Wynonna would be the one to start puns. She silently crossed her fingers, hoping that her sister wouldn’t.

Sadly, no such thing as hope when it came to Wynonna Earp. “The Captain’s name is Haught. Like Haughtstuff, Haughtshot.. Haughtdog! Ouch.”

Waverly gave her aunt a quiet thank you when Gus pinched Wynonna’s arm. Enough to make it hurt but not hard enough to bruise. The older woman could tell that the older Earps puns were getting to her youngest niece. Again, Gus nodded. Only to say ‘you’re welcome’ instead of voicing it.

“Sorry.” Wynonna muttered.

Before any questions could be asked, Waverly excused herself. Going upstairs to her apartment to get ready for shift that night. The questions that would of been asked were the same ones that the little Earp was avoiding. Wanting to keep things to herself wasn’t the worst idea, but it seemed like good one. It was friend that she got on her own. Sure, it was by accident that the brunette was listening in on a conversation, but no one made her write to the Captain. No one introduce her to Nicole. So keeping quiet was what Waverly was going to do. At least, for now anyways.

**____________________**

 

_Wednesday, February 6, 2008 ~ Sapphire Hotel; Houston, Texas — 6:06 p.m. (CT)_

“It’s like she’s disappeared, Boss.”

“We don’t stop until we find her.” The older gentleman yelled. Anger clear in her voice.

The Boss paced back and forth throughout the hotel room. He was getting tired of coming up short on everything that could possibly find to bring them closer to finding her. Unfortunately for him, she was smart. Probably to smart.

He never saw this coming. To be betrayed by his own kind. Running away like some coward. A coward that now needed to be found. The Boss never once feared that this would happen. Everyone loved the game. The adrenaline behind it. The craving for it. But this? This was unacceptable.

If it took years to find her, then so be it. She knew way to much and it could cost them everything that they ever worked for. The blood, whether it was his or someone’s else’s, sweat, and tears, to make this business where it is now after he took over years ago, was not something the Boss was going to lose because one of his own couldn’t handle it.

It was just a matter of time before she slipped up. She was bound to. She may be smart, but not nearly as smart as the Boss. He’d been doing the game a lot longer and could find a needle in haystack. Even if that needle is his grandchild.

Walking into the room, the Boss’s son comes in. He stands tall but has a hostile look on his face. He had been out with the boys looking for his kid. Disbelieving it all that had happened. He gave his kid everything. Even though to his kid, it was just the opposite.

The child didn’t ask for anything. Literally. Whatever her father or grandfather wanted her to have, that’s what she got. It never mattered what she wanted. It wasn’t like they would ever consider it anyways. It was about them. Never about her. So why ask for something that you actually want, when you knew you’ll never get it. Even as simple as clothes. Like a new jacket or pair of pants. If they felt like she didn’t need it. She didn’t deserve it. So, she learned at an early age, to not voice her needs or wants. They were never to be heard to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @Cole commented on the last chapter if these two will write about the encounterment at the park. It actually gave me an idea which helped me write chapter five. So shout out to Cole for giving me some ideas!  
> Another shout out to @lflorez21_haught for also putting idea’s into my head that as well helped me write the next chapter.  
> So thank you and to anyone else who give me idea’s to make the story interesting.


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spotting? Should I mention that this ends in a bang? No, okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has the last letter in it. I also have chapters 6-9 done, with chapter 10 in the works. I wrote the Wayhaught meet, and a couple of dates a few of weeks ago. I plan on doing a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday posting schedule for right now. Since I have enough to do so. I’ll let you all know if and when it changes.

_Sunday, June 26, 2016 ~ The Homestead; Purgatory, Maine — 12:31 p.m. (EST) & Willa’s Condo; Houston, Texas — 11:31 a.m. (CT)_

Walking around the house, Wynonna held her phone to her ear, while listening to her older sister talk about Texas. It had been a long while since they last talked. The last time they actually had talked was when the middle Earp came back to Purgatory.

It was weird though. The two of them were always thick as thieves growing up. They would tell each other everything. Well, not everything. Willa had a nack for not telling her certain things. Things like, what she did to their little sister. It was always, ‘she’s just making it up so you’ll play her, Wynonna’. ‘Do you really want to be around a little kid, when we can go do better and more exciting stuff, than play with dolls?’ Wynonna never thought to much about it back then. Even now, she tried not to. It was easier to forget and move on.

“So you’re coming back to Purgatory?” Wynonna asked with a bit excitement.

 _“I’m not coming back. Just visiting for like a week.”_ Willa responded through the phone.

“Oh. Do you know when or is it still up in the air?”

_“Robert has to check with his boss but its looking like somewhere between thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe even after the new year. But definitely aiming for December.”_

“But don’t you hate winter. Since you’re always in warmer weather now?” The middle Earps curiosity starting to get the better of her. “And who’s Robert?”

 _“I don’t hate winter. I kinda miss snow. Weird right? Robert is my boyfriend. Did I not tell you the last time we spoke?”_  
  
“No. You didn’t. But glad you’re seeing someone.”

 _“What about you?”_ Willa asked.

“Since when do I do relationships? Hmm. Never is the answer.”

_“Don’t be a smartass, Wynonna. What about our baby sister? Does she have a new man child in her life?”_

“Willa, Waverly is still doesn’t date guys.” Wynonna pointed out.

 _“Right. Is she seeing anyone?”_ Willa said with a bit of a bite to her words.

“No, she’s not. Waves is busy between work and school that doesn’t really have time to date. Anyways, when you and your man come up from Texas, I figured we could stay at the homestead if you like?”

 _“Certainly bigger than your apartment. Works for me. I got to go though. Robert is waiting for me outside. Talk to you again soon. Bye.”_ Willa hung up before Wynonna could say anymore.

Wynonna looked around the homestead. Silently cursing herself for offering to stay at their old childhood home. The place was a dump. Didn’t help when no one lived there or took care of it since they left when all three of the Earp sisters were kids.

Again, the middle Earp curses herself. _How am I going to tell Waverly about this? She is not going to be happy when she finds out. Fuck! What am I going to do?_ Wynonna started to pace through the home that she left years ago. Pondering on how she was going to approach the matter at hand.  
****

**____________________**

 

_Friday, August 19, 2016 ~ Holliday Café; Purgatory, Maine — 1:02 p.m. (EST)_

Nicole walked into the Holliday café for the first time. She had heard about it from a couple of MP’s, while walking through the security gate the other day. They talked about how the owner dressed like an old cowboy and sometimes talked like it too. The man was also friendly and could make a mean cup of joe. The MP’s recommended it to anyone driving through Purgatory.

The Captain also heard them talked about the brunette woman that worked the bar at Shorty’s. Not knowing if Waverly worked there, maybe possibly living there or if she just got her mail there and that’s it, Nicole decided to ignore the feeling of wanting to know more. The MP’s were both men and apparently when ever they tried to score a date with said bartender, the woman would gracefully decline and told them that she had plans. One of the men even stated that she was gay. Was even told so by some darker brunette in a leather jacket. ‘Better luck next time’ was what he recited. Bruised his ego if nothing else.

Due to the rain that day, work was basically canceled. It was coming down so hard that it was impossible to see anything in front of you. Luckily they were able to do a couple of flyby’s early in the morning before the rain even began. By lunch, the storm had started and that’s when the pilots were let go for the day. Which is how Nicole ended up at the café early in the afternoon.

There was also another reason why the redhead was in Purgatory. Not that admitting to this reason, was an option. In denial was definitely the correct answer. A certain nameless brunette filled Nicole’s mind. She just wanted to know her. It was driving her insane. She’s seen this woman twice since Tuesday, at the park, and yet again, the woman just disappeared.

Since Tuesday, Nicole started going to bed earlier to get plenty of sleep. She even drank less coffee and energy drinks to make sure that the caffeine wasn’t getting to her. I’m not going crazy. I am not crazy.

“Hi.” Nicole said to the man behind the counter.

“Howdy. What can I get you to wet your whistle?” Reading the name tag, Nicole now knew him as ‘Doc’.

She smiled. Amused by how he asked his question. “Can I get a cappuccino to go, please?” The Captain asked.

“Absolutely.” Doc answered back. He went about making it. “Name?” The man called out.

“Nicole.” She replied back. “Just gonna use your restroom. Be back in a sec.” Doc nodded and pointed to the back of room.

As she walked towards the bathroom, the redhead stopped in her tracks. Noticing a woman sitting on one of the couches. _She’s here! For once I’m not seeing her at the park. But she’s busy reading a letter. I don’t want to disturb her not to mention I really have to pee._ Nicole hurried herself towards the back of the café.

After walking back out of bathroom, Nicole looked back at the couch where the brunette was. Once eyeing it, she released a breathe she didn’t know she was holding. The Captain signed at the sight. The couch that was once occupied by the brunette, was now empty. _Seriously! I swear to god I saw her._

“You look like you might of saw a ghost.” Doc said as Nicole went to grab her cappuccino.

“I have no idea what I saw. But I know I saw something.” Nicole took a deep breath. Hoping to not sound ridiculous. “Thanks for this.”

**____________________**

 

_Friday, August 19, 2016 ~ Holliday Café; Purgatory, Maine — 12:58 p.m. (EST)_

The morning was going semi smoothly for the little Earp. Her and Wynonna surprisingly had an early start. The middle sister wanted to try and spend time with the youngest since their last argument. Trying to make up for not informing something that was certainly huge news to Waverly.

They played a few games of pool and a couple rounds of darts. Wynonna was seemly out of practice at both while Waverly just showed off. Growing up in Shorty’s really had its perks sometimes.

Once twelve thirty had hit, Wynonna had to leave and head to the homestead. She wanted to get more stuff done that day. Waverly figured that since her sister was busy for the rest of the afternoon, Shorty’s was open and had the lunch rush going, she thought it was a good idea to head over to the café.

Of course, Waverly took the couch in the back. She settled in and took out the letter that she had written back to Nicole. Just in case, there was paper in her purse if she needed it. The brunette went over it probably ten times. Reading and rereading it carefully to make sure there wasn’t any mistakes. She was so engrossed in it that she never noticed the redhead that had walked into the Holliday’s coffee shop and walk past her.

Waverly had gotten a text from her aunt stating that they needed help back at Shorty’s. Curtis hurt himself trying to put the horses back in the barn before the rain and ended up twisting his ankle. The little Earp was happy to help. Putting her now finish letter into the envelope and back in her purse. She made a mental note to stop and drop it off at the post office so it would sent out that day.

Never once did she ever realize that the woman she’s been pinning over, hoping she would stop her as they pass each other while running, was in the café. Though, Waverly also reminded herself that in order to have the redhead talk to her, she had to stop doing the disappearing act.

**____________________**

 

_Tuesday, August 23, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 9:00 p.m. (EST)_

_Work. Check. Workout. Done. Running. Also done. Talking to cute brunette that is miraculously good at disappearing. Not done yet. Still trying to figure how the fuck she does it? Most definitely._

Poor Nicole was at the ends of her rope when it came to this mysterious woman. It was at the point now, she would only look back to see if brunette was still there. Sometimes she was, most times, not. When the shorter woman was there, Nicole would call out. Unfortunately she was never heard. It took her a few times to realize that the reason why she was being ignored was because the woman had headphones in her ears. But either way, she wasn’t going to give up trying.

That morning, when she collected her mail, a dimpled smile splayed across Nicole’s face. Another letter had came in from Waverly. Reading it right away was not in the redheads favor. Her day was completely filled with classes and daily routine flybys. Today was one of those days where most of the younger pilots were riding along. Learning the controls and how to take off and land without crashing. The Captain even showed off a little, by giving them a show.

Climbing into her F16, she took off into the sky and flew in a wide circle. Once back at the start, she went soaring at 768 miles per hour. Breaking the sound barrier. Something she truly enjoyed doing. It was actually one of her favorite flying techniques. Though, she would of enjoyed it more if she went top speed. Unfortunately she couldn’t. Nicole had only done it once and that was when she was overseas.

Finally, back at home, showered and changed, Nicole sat in bed. Opening her letter that she had been craving to read all day.

 

_Thursday, August 18, 2016_

_  
Nicole,_

_Thank you for the compliment.. I don’t mind you asking about my current residence either. There is an apartment just off of the bar. Apart from being a student, I work at Shorty’s. I’ve actually been working there since I was eighteen. I basically grew up in that bar. When I mentioned family in my first letter and knowing what it’s like to be alone, well there is a reason why I grew up in Shorty’s. It’s not exactly a happy story either. By the time I was six, I was living with my aunt and uncle, who both work at the bar. I was home schooled until I reached of age to go to high school. So while both my aunt and uncle worked, I stayed in the bar. A lot of times I stayed in the back to work on homework, or when it got real busy, I ended up helping serve food. Shorty, the man who owns the bar, offered me a job at eighteen. He was always considerate of my schooling and never had me start work until after my homework was done. He always made sure things were easier for me. Even though I told him I could handle it, he never listened. After graduation, he told me about the apartment and if I was going to be working the late shift, I could stay there. Over a course of a year, my things gradually ended up there. I think my aunt and uncle played a part into too. Even though they continue to tell me, ‘I don’t know what your talking about’, Their way of ‘lying’ to me. To me, they are so much more than my aunt and uncle. They raised me. Not my mother or my father, but they did. Other than my sister and Shorty (who also helped raised me) they’re the only family I have and they’re the only ones I have left. I have another older sister, but I don’t talk to her. I’d tell you about my parents, but to be honest, I’d rather get to know you better before diving into shitty parents express.  
_

_Captain Haught, you are the first person to actually ask me what I want to do with my life and then throw options at me. Thank you. I thought about teaching. If I had to choose between a high school teacher and a professor. I’d choose professor. I really don’t want to deal with high school kids. I never thought about working for a museum. I actually had to do some research on that. With thorough research, if I was to work for a museum, I’d apply to be there assistant researcher. Which I didn’t know was a thing, but it is and I’d gladly sign up for that. For right now though, I’m not 100% sure what direction I want to go in. I’ve always stayed in Purgatory and leaving the only place I’ve ever known, I don’t think I could do it. You see, Wynonna travels a lot and as long as I stay here, she’ll always know where to find me. Hell, even my college courses are online. I love languages and translating, so I’ll keep the option as a translator in mind.  
_

_You know it’s cruel to let me imagine if you have an accent or not. It’s like playing Uno and hoping that the person before you doesn’t have a draw four card. It’s just plain mean.. If you ever feel the need or want to talk to someone about those reasons, just know, I’m a good listener or in this case, a good reader. I am all for education. If you couldn’t tell already, I love to learn new and exciting things. Which is why I research so much. Now I’m surprised I told you that. Most people usually find me annoying once I get started talking about anything I’m interested in or really just know. I’ve been told that I’m a ‘know it all and really should just keep my comments to myself.’ Hurtful yes. Sadly, Ive gotten use to it.  
_

_That is a lot of information about how to go about becoming a Captain. I commend you for wanting to do go about becoming a Captain the proper way. So many people take the easy way out instead of working for it.  
_

_You think your funny don’t you Captain? Staying warm? Apparently you haven’t been around when its below zero here. Just you wait, you’ll be wishing that your last name is how you keep warm during the winter months. As for activities, not so much. My uncle owns a snow mobile. Haven’t been it since I was little. Never been snow boarding before but would like try it sometime. Ice fishing is a no and will never happen. I had an extremely bad experience with ice when I was five. Never been out on a frozen lake or pond since then. Snowshoeing? Good god, you like doing that? I have a hard enough time walking outside in my boots let alone having to wear something else. My ass and the ground meet each other a lot that I always have extra pair of jeans in my Jeep. Before you even ask. Yes, I do wear the snow ice grips on my boots. They only make my fall more graceful. Hence, why I don’t like winter. Actually, let me rephrase that. Winter doesn’t like me. Technically its a mutual agreement, though I don’t think Mother Nature got that memo.  
_

_You are very welcome. You should hear it more often. If it helps, I’ll write thank you in every letter come forth, starting now. Thank you Captain Nicole Haught for what you do for our country! Was that a little much? Don’t care! It’s written and I’m not erasing it! You just have to get over it.. Anyways, like I said above, I work at Shorty’s. Still. It’s an easy job and I know everyone who comes walking through the door. Well, I usually do but sometimes a couple of Marines decided to ‘Drink where Wyatt Earp Drank.’. Again, before you ask, I am related to him. Wyatt Earp is my great grand daddy.  
_

_Oh god, don’t mention running into you. I actually almost did that to someone recently. Literally. I had so much going on in my head that I wasn’t paying attention and almost took out them out. It was so embarrassing. But yea, maybe we will meet. If that’s not to weird to meet your pen pal. I mean, it could be weird. Right? Meeting the stranger that out of nowhere starting writing to you. Fuck! Moving on!  
_

_I run the loop as well. It really does have the best views. Why imagine the sunset and sunrise, when you can just go see them. As much as I don’t like the snow, I have to admit. The views are really extraordinary with the snow added to it. By the way, you are indeed boring. I’m just kidding! You just need to be around more cheerful people with ‘unique ways of words’._

_Your friend,  
_

_Waverly Earp_

_  
P.S: Yes I am, Captain Haught._

_Oh fuck a duck! I just remembered I rambled at the end._

_Letter: 2 | Waverly: 1_

  
The Captain laughed. Man, did she laugh. Waverly seemed to be the only person that could make her laugh this much. The woman’s stories were entertaining to say the least. That’s why Nicole looked forward to them. It was her third letter but none the less, she always like receiving them. Any mail really. But hers, had a special place in her heart that she couldn’t explain. Just like she couldn’t explain the weird connection that she felt with Waverly and they had never met before.

Though one thing did stand out in the Earps letter. The fact that she almost ran into someone perk Nicole’s interest. _Could she have been the same woman at the park or just a coincidence. She didn’t say when it happened though. Oh hell, it was probably just a coincidence._ That was what Nicole believed. Even if she was dead wrong.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Widows State Park; Purgatory, Maine — 8:04 a.m. (EST)_

A month had gone and few more letters were sent between Nicole and Waverly. The both of them always had a look of pure excitement when ever they received their letters. They still hadn’t discussed whether or not they would meet each other. Both were scared to know what the other thought of the idea. So neither of them put it in their letters. Hoping that pure luck would be on their side and they would meet naturally. Not setting up a time or place to do so. What neither of them saw coming was just how unique they would meet. Well, sorta kinda meet.

Waverly had gotten a semi early start on her run at the park. It seemed like nothing was going her way that morning. She couldn’t find her purse, followed by not being able to find her wallet. That apparently, some how slipped inside the small couch in her apartment. After thirty minutes of looking for both of them, she was finally able to head to the park. To her surprise, the never ending bad luck continued. The brunette tripped on the last couple of steps, almost twisting her ankle in the process. It was anything but graceful but she carried on as if she meant to do it. Trying to act as normal as possible. Even though there wasn’t anyone there to begin with. In which, Waverly forgot. The action only added to her embarrassment.

Nicole on the other hand, seemed to be having one of her better morning. Finding the ten dollars that she thought she lost, inside her truck center console. Completely forgetting that she put it there a week ago. When she went to Holliday Café, the person in front of her paid for the Captain’s coffee. Being the generous person that she is, the redhead continued the ‘pay it forward’ by buying the next person in line, their coffee and breakfast. She felt like she was on cloud nine. The only thing that would make her morning even better, was seeing the brunette woman that she passed in the park every few days. That she also was still trying to introduce herself to. _Maybe today I will. The sun is shining and its a good day._

On one end of the loop, Waverly was stretching and doing a couple of yoga poses to complete her warm up. Trying to rid the bad luck, she started playing calming music on her iPod. Desperately hoping and praying that it will help.

The opposite end of the same loop is where Nicole has already started her run. Never once has she ever used her iPod while running this trial. The music of the trees and wildlife is all she needs to relax and enjoy her run. Going at a steady pace and looking straight ahead, the Captain tries to clear head. Focusing on nothing but running.

The both of them get closer. Running on the same side of trail. Ironically neither of them are paying much attention. Waverly is looking down towards the ground to make sure she doesn’t trip over anything whilst Nicole looks into the woods. Not paying any mind to the shorter woman running at her.

*WHUMP!*

Both woman fall and hit the ground hard. Completely dazed and confused as to what to just happened. Waverly looks up first and sees that she ran into the redhead that she cant stop thinking about. _I literally just ran into her. Shit! This is embarrassing and my bad luck is just continuing. I need to get out here and quick._

“I am so sorry about that. I wasn’t paying any attention.” Waverly gets up before the woman in front of her. “I um.. I. Yea. Sorry.” She gives the redhead a sheepish smile and takes off running again. Thanking her lucky stars that she still has her iPod attached to her.

Nicole is so over taken by what just happened that she literally cant register anything at that very moment. The only thing that she can focus on is the beautiful brunette, that is quickly getting up and brushing herself off. The redhead is so captivated by her that she barely notices the words that are being spoken. Before the Captain can even reply back, the woman takes off. _Oh, come on!_

Quickly getting up and turning around, Nicole scratches her head. _How can someone so small be so fast. Okay, that sounds kinda dirty. Cool it, Haught. Focus! She’s real! She knock me on my ass. Literally this time and she’s REAL! I’m not imagining this. If only I got her name. One of these times, I’m just going to grab her by the wrist and make her stop. She always smiles at me so I know she wants me to talk to her. But maybe she’s just nervous. That’s why she disappears._

“Well. That’s one way to fall for a girl.” Nicole breaths out loudly.

 


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wayhaught officially meet and Waverly finally being brazen as well.

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine— 9:57 a.m. (EST)_

It was nearing ten o’clock when Nicole drove down Main Street in Purgatory. She was on her way back from the park from a early morning run when she came upon a familiar name on a sign. Deciding to check it out, she pulled her truck over. Looking at the building, Nicole realized why the name seemed familiar. She was looking at the only bar in Purgatory, which happened to be named Shorty’s.

Nicole sat in her truck for a few minutes just staring. She was mentally arguing with herself on whether or not to go in. She knew Waverly worked and lived here, but Nicole wasn’t sure if she wanted to meet the women she’s been writing back and forth with for weeks now. She wouldn’t admit it, but she was starting to fall for this woman that she’s been writing too. Without realizing it, she was out of her truck and making her way through the wooden doors.

She stopped just inside of Shorty’s when she saw a short brunette woman, wearing a white tank top, high waisted jeans, and was slightly swaying her hips from side to side while cleaning the taps behind the bar. She recognized the woman immediately. _She works here! Now’s my chance to talk to her. Also ask her if she’s okay from earlier. God, just thinking about it makes my ass hurt a little._ Nicole was about to make her self known to the woman when one of the taps let’s go.

“YA! Jesus!... Argh.” The brunette awkwardly tried to stop the tap while it covered her with beer. Pushing the tap back up, the woman looks at shirt. “Perfect.” She put her arms on the counter in a crisscrossed form and place her head on top them. The redhead could hear her release a loud sigh along with saying something that she couldn’t make out.

Nicole really tried not to laugh at the situation but couldn’t deny that she was loving it at the same time. The shorter woman was undeniably breathtaking and she couldn’t stop herself from staring. Before she could think of a proper response her mouth was opening and words were spilling out. “I didn’t know Shorty’s had wet t-shirt competitions.” _What the hell kind of pick up line was that?_ “You OK?” She says with a light laugh and starts to walk towards the bar.

The brunette whipped her head up at the sound of someone’s voice. Her face was red from embarrassment knowing that someone had just witnessed what happened. Though it wasn’t just anyone. It was the redhead that she’d been passing at the park and quite literally ran into this morning. Her embarrassment only got worst from there. _Oh god, will this bad luck ever end?_ “Yea, just peachy.” She said flatly.

“You sound it. So uh.. you alright from earlier. Took quite the fall after running into me.” Nicole smirked at the brunette and sat down on one of the bar stools.

Waverly’s chest, face and the tips of her ears became beat red. _Of course she would bring this up and with a shit eaten grin too. Even if is cute!_ “I’m fine and again, I’m sorry.”

“Hey, its okay. Accidents happens. Even if it was technically the second time you tried and was at least successful this time. I mean, if you wanted me falling for you, the least you could do is ask me out.” Nicole gave the woman in front of her a wide dimpled grin. Hoping that it would show her that she was joking. _Why did I just say that out loud?_

 _She has dimples!_ “So you’re a smart ass, huh? Be lucky these taps don’t have a hoses attached to them or you’d be drenched by now.” Waverly quipped.

The redhead laughed. _She’s feisty. I like it!_ “So I’ve been trying to introduce myself to you for the last few weeks, but your like a wizard. Always disappearing and all.” She grinned and reached out her right hand. “I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.”

The shorter woman just looked at Nicole for what seems like a lifetime but is only for moment. Her eyes widen and she brings her hands to her mouth. “Oh god, it’s you.”

“What?” Nicole cocks her head to the left and pulls back her arm.

“I’m officially meeting you and in the most embarrassing way possible.” _I can’t believe its her. I can’t believe we’ve been running past each other for weeks! We could of met weeks ago but no! I’m a stupid scaredy-cat chicken shit!_

“Officially?” Nicole confusingly asked. Giving the brunette a quizzical look.

“Yes.” The brunette sticks her hand out to Nicole. “I’m Waverly. Waverly Earp and it’s nice to **finally** meet you Captain Nicole Haught.” Waverly smiled.

Nicole’s breath hitches. Waverly’s smile is the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen in her life. Not to mention she’s meeting the woman she can’t stop thinking about after running passed her the first time a few weeks ago and that’s it’s the same woman who started writing to her the first day of August.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Nicole accepts Waverly’s hand and gently squeezes it.

Both women stare at each other not noticing that they haven’t released their hands yet. They both feel the warm sensation, like their skin is on fire. Nicole finally snaps out of her trance first and pulled away. Both missing the feeling of the others touch.

Nicole clears her throat and continues to look at Waverly. _Why am I nervous? Just ask._ “Why did you keep.. disappearing? After we passed each other.” She questioned.

“Honestly?” Waverly answers back and the redhead nodded in response. “Fear. Embarrassment. Insecurities. You name it. Every time I passed you, all I could think about was how I almost ran into you and just couldn’t get past the embarrassment part of it.”

“How come?.. You don’t have to answer that.” Nicole said quickly.

“Its fine.. Past experiences.” Waverly says as if it was as simple as that.

“I’m sorry you those.” They were quiet for a couple of minutes before Nicole broke the silence. “Can I get a cappuccino to go?” She said trying to sound innocent.

“Oh, I’m really sorry. Um, were not actually open yet so..” Waverly gestured towards the empty bar.

“Oh right! My bad.” Nicole finally looked around the bar and realizes that were the only two in there. “It’s just when I see something like, I don’t want to wait.” _Smooth. Real smooth. Try again._ “And your door open so..” She pointed to the door and tried to seem apologetic even though she wasn’t. Meeting Waverly was definitely better than she had hoped for.

Waverly looked passed Nicole and forgot she unlocked the door half an hour ago. “Right.” She stared down at her shirt and remembers it was still wet. “Oh god. I’m sopping wet.” Nicole lightly laughs.  
  
Gesturing towards the taps, Waverly says. “You know I keep telling Shorty to fix the darn taps.” Waverly grabbed a dish towel that was a sitting on one side on the counter and absentmindedly started dabbing the rag on her shirt. “Sorry, do you mind?” She lifted her hands to cover her face in hope that the redhead would understand what she meant. Nicole mirrored the action and made an ‘O’ shape with her mouth as she caught on to what Waverly was gesturing to and turned around in her seat.

As much as Nicole wanted to turn around to catch a peek at the beautiful woman taking her shirt off, she was afraid that the brunette could still be facing her. Instead, the Captain continued facing the other direction. A few seconds later she heard a ripping sound and Waverly saying something but she didn’t quite catch it.

“Uh, um, Nicole. I’m stuck so, please.” Waverly said with her body half turned to Nicole and her arms half way over her head.

Nicole turned and saw Waverly with her shirt caught in her hair. She desperately tried not to look at her abdomen so she focused on her face instead. “Oh yeah. Let me help you. I got you.” She quickly walked around the bar and help Waverly out of her shirt. She heard Waverly chuckling to herself. She wanted to laugh herself knowing that this situation was undeniably funny, but decided to her bit her tongue.

“Oh god, that was really **really** awkward.. um. I-I owe you one.” Waverly said sheepishly.

“Alright. How you buy me a cup of coffee. How about tonight?” Nicole tilted her head and grinned.

Waverly looked at Nicole and bit her cheeks. She thought Nicole looked like a puppy with her head tilted to the left(again) and her brown eyes staring into hers. But what got to her the most, that made her weak at the knees, was Nicole’s dimpled smile. _God the dimples again. Wait! She just asked me out!_

Not realizing she was holding her breath, Waverly breathes out. “I’d love too.”

“Yeah?” Nicole’s smile grows even wider.

Waverly nods, holds up one finger and begins to walk past Nicole but stops at the end of the bar to grab a new Shorty’s shirt sitting on the bottom shelf. She slips it on and bends back down to grab her purse for a pen. After finding it, she walks back to Nicole, grabs her left hand and write her number down.

Nicole watches Waverly the whole time and swears her face will spilt in two if her smile gets any wider. She couldn’t believe that the shorter woman said yes to going out with her. She got that warm feeling again when Waverly grabs her hand. When the brunette was done writing, she looked at her hand and noticed two thing. One being Waverly’s phone number and the second being a time.

“I get off work at seven. You can decide where we go and I’ll meet you there.”

“Nope. No can do.” Nicole says with a teasing tone in her voice.

“No?” Waverly questions her.

“Nope. Beautiful girls always get picked up.” Nicole winked at Waverly causing her to blush.

“Oh so I should be picking you up then?” Waverly lightly laughed when Nicole ducked her head trying to hide her own blush. But Nicole quickly recovered from it.

“Cute. But no. I’ll pick you up here at eight.. if that’s alright with you?” Nicole bit her bottom lip nervously.

“Of course.” Waverly said with a flirtatious smile.

Nicole walked out from behind the bar still sporting the same smile. Still wrapping her brain around everything that just happened. She felt a connection with Waverly and really hoped that the other woman felt it too. That was when she realized that she wanted more than just coffee. She wanted to take Waverly out on a proper date, but decided not to ask. Nicole liked Waverly, which meant she wasn’t going to rush her and was going to let Waverly set the pace. Hoping that the brunette actually wanted to have a relationship with her.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Nicole turned around and said goodbye. She told her that she’ll text her later with possible details, which made Waverly smile. Nicole decided that making Waverly smile was now her favorite thing to do.

Already inside her truck, Nicole once again began mentally arguing with herself. _You fly jets for a living. Just ask her out to dinner. But what if she’s just being nice and just wanted to get to know the person she starting writing to._ Her arguing statement starting to get the better of her. _If that was the case, she wouldn’t of flirted back or gave you her number, dumbass. God, I shouldn’t be doing this in the first place, but I deserve some happiness. Right?_

Before she could let the arguing side take another hit at her pride, Nicole jumped out of her truck and walked back into Shorty’s. Walking in at her fullest height and her head held high, trying to give herself more confidence, she had no intentions of backing out. Especially when she was now inside and looking at Waverly. Who was now taking chairs off the tables and wiping them down.

“Sorry to interrupt you again.” Waverly turned her head and instantly started smiling when she saw Nicole.

“Not a problem. Though you are significantly early for coffee.” The brunette chuckled.

“Um yea. About that.” Nicole watched Waverly’s smile fade quickly. _Just spit it out you idiot, this girl obviously wanted to go out with you._ “Would you like to have dinner with me instead, Waverly?” The smile that came upon Waverly’s face was so bright, Nicole swore it was near blinding. A smile she hoped to see again.

“Are you asking me out on a date, Captain Haught?” Nicole mirrored Waverly’s smile at the use of her military rank knowing the other woman was using it as a pet name.

“Yes I am. We can do something fancy or casual. You can decide. That is.. if you want to of course.” Nicole was hesitant.

Smirking at the redhead in front of her, Waverly waited a moment to answer. She could see just how much Nicole wanted this date by the nervous expression that came upon her face. She wasn’t expecting to meet the Captain but was unexpectedly excited that she did. _She really is beautiful._

“Are you a dress or a suit kind of woman?”

Nicole let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Which would you prefer?”

“I think.” _Be brazen. You’ve been a shit ticket for weeks, so be bold. Be brazen._ Waverly walked up to Nicole and stood in front of her. “You would look good in both. But..” Waverly lightly grabbed the front on Nicole’s red flannel shirt. Making the the redhead gulp at her actions. She looked up and met Nicole’s gaze. “I would like to see you in a suit tonight.. or at least a dress shirt.” Waverly began playing with the buttons of the flannel. Nicole audible gulped again.

Trying not to sound as nervous as she felt, with Waverly in her personal space, Nicole tried to answer back. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before finally answering. “Fancy but not to fancy. That I can work with.” Nicole smiled down at Waverly.

Bringing her hands up to grab the lapels of Nicole’s flannel, Waverly pulled Nicole down a bit and kissed her cheek. She took a few steps and chuckled at the Captain who apparently was in shock and had a dazed expression on her face. _Oh this woman is just to cute._ “I’m looking forward to it.”

Nicole finally snapped out of her trance and shook her head. Of all the things she was expecting, it was not a kiss from Waverly Earp. Even if it was just on her cheek. She fought the urge to bring her hand up to touch the spot where Waverly’s lips were. Never once in the redheads life did a woman have such an affect on her. Her heart had starting beating faster the moment Waverly had began walking towards her. There was a lump in her throat and her mouth had gone dry, which only got worse the moment the brunette was in her personal pace. Then she completely forgot how to function the moment she felt lips on her skin. “I’ll see you tonight then.”

“See you then.” _Well, my day just went from bad to great. Didn’t think that was possible._

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Shorty’s, Purgatory— 1:14 p.m. (EST)_

Hours after Waverly meet Nicole, she still felt like she was walking on air. Everyone that came into the bar noticed that the short brunette woman was more bubbly than usually. What usually would be a fake smile was replaced with a genuine one.

“Someone’s happier than usual?” Shorty said from behind her with Gus standing next to him.

“Just having a magical day is all.” Waverly skipped over to one of the tables that just cleared.

Shorty and Gus exchanged a looked to one another and wore matching smirks on their face. It’s been a long time since they both saw Waverly this happy. The last time they could remember was when she graduated high school and got accepted into college.

“Magical huh?” Gus murmured to herself.

The watched the younger woman bounce around from table to table, noticing that her smile would go from a simple smile to it reaching from ear to ear.

**____________________**

 

_ Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Shorty’s, Purgatory— 3:00 p.m. (EST) _

Almost two hours later, after her brief interaction with Shorty and Gus, Waverly was wiping down the bar when she felt her phone vibrate.

 **[unknown]** : Hey it’s Nicole. Black or blue? (3:00 p..m)

Waverly lit up the moment she saw the name in the text message.

“What’s got you smiling like an idiot, baby girl?” Wynonna walked up to her sister and sat on one of the barstools.

Waverly quickly texted Nicole back before looking up to her older sister.

 **[Waverly]** : For a bruise? Neither. (3:01 p.m)

“Remember that redhead I told you about that I passed by a few times while running, over the pass couple of weeks?”

“You mean the one you won’t shut up about and the same one you are secretly hoping will stop you and start a conversation with you? What about her?” Wynonna watched the younger girl look back down at her phone.

 **[Nicole]** : HA! Smart ass. No, color of shirt to wear tonight. (3:03 p.m)

“I really don’t like you somethings.” Waverly sticks her tongue out at her sister.

“Anyways, you also remember me telling you about Captain Haught?”

“Just get to the point, baby girl.”

“One sec.” Waverly continued to smile and began lightly bouncing on her feet.

 **[Waverly]** : Wow. Letting me choose for you? Pretty ballsy of you for a first date. (3:05 p.m)

Bubbling with excitement, Wynonna could practically see a twinkle in her little sisters eyes. “Who are you texting Waves?”

“My date.” The squeal of excitement from Waverly’s voice had the darker brunette wondering if her sisters wish finally came true.

 **[Nicole]** : Yea yea. Pick a color, please. (3:06 p.m)

“Babygirl, if you don’t stop looking at that phone I’m going to throw it across the room.”

 **[Waverly]** : Purple (3:07 p.m)

Waverly glared at her sister. “Touch my phone and I won’t serve you any whiskey.”

From across the bar, Gus had noticed that Wynonna had accompanied her sister. She walked over to say hello, knowing that it had been a couple of days since she last saw the middle Earp. But what she wasn’t expecting, was to hear Waverly confirm what she had expected earlier.

“Wynonna, leave your dear sister alone. She obviously happy.” Gus said proudly.

 **[Nicole]** : Those weren’t the choices. (3:09 p.m)

Waverly looked up from her phone and with a wide grin. “It’s okay Gus and I am happy.” She looked over to Wynonna who was trying to patiently wait for her unanswered questions. “Captain Haught is the same person who I’ve been passing by on my runs.”

 **[Waverly]** : You asked. Lol (3:10 p.m)

Seeing the joy in her nieces eyes and the obvious bounce in her step when she filled another patrons beer up and handed it to them. “And how did you find that out sweetie?” Gus questioned.

“She came in this morning.” Waverly’s could feel the heat in her cheeks as she remembered how embarrassing it was. She dropped her head down when she felt her phone go off again. Instantly smiling. She didn’t noticed the look Gus and Wynonna shared.

 **[Nicole]** : Fine.. How about I surprise you instead? (3:12pm)

 **[Waverly]** : Oh, I love surprises. (3:13pm)

 **[Waverly]** : Any other details I need to know about? (3:14pm)

Waverly was so lost with texting Nicole and thinking about their date that she wasn’t paying attention when both her sister and aunt tried talking to her. Not to mention customers that were now getting annoyed with the short brunette behind the the bar. Instead of Gus scolding her niece for not doing her job, she decided to let it go for now. Seeing her niece this happy and excited for a date was rare so she was happy to let it side.

 **[Nicole]** : *stage whisper* Shh... it’s a surprise. (3:15pm)

“Ass” Waverly murmured to herself. Not realizing that her sister had heard her.

“Who is, babygirl?”

“Nicole.” _Finally! An answer.. wait. Who’s Nicole._ Wynonna was about to voice her thoughts but her aunt beat her to it.

“Who’s Nicole, darling?”

“Oh, sorry.. Nicole is Captain Haught and will you two stop looking at me like that.” Both Wynonna and Gus had questioning looks on there faces. “And yes, to answer the unspoken question, that I just know you two want to ask. Nicole is my date tonight.”

 **[Waverly]** : Fine. See you tonight, Captain Haught. (3:17pm)

 **[Nicole]** : See you tonight. (3:18pm)

Before either her sister or her aunt started asking her more questions, Waverly left them to do her rounds. Making sure that everyone in Shorty’s had their drinks filled. She knew there was a spring in her step and a smile on her face that reached her eyes. When talking to all the costumers that decided to start a conversation with her, they all mentioned that she extra bubblier than usual. Of course, she gave them all the same answer, ‘just having a good day is all.’ With that, the conversations would end and she’d go back to work. Thinking about what Nicole was planning or where she was taking them.

**____________________**

 

_Wednesday, August 31, 2016 ~ Willa’s Condo; Houston, Texas — 9:00 p.m. (CT)_

Robert walked through the door of the condo in which he shared with his girlfriend, Willa Earp. They had been together for about eighteen months. Relationship seemed was good. Always on the same page when it came to his line of work. More importantly, she understood it. Eventually, she joined.

It was by accident that the two met. Willa was at The Punchline club with some friends when she caught sight of him. This man that had only seen a couple of times, always caught her eye. The woman wanted to know this man. A man who always seemed to dress to impress. The feeling was very much mutual.

After the third time of seeing each other at the same club, the man finally introduced himself. He went by Robert Svane. Though his alias name from his boss was Bobo Del Rey. He went undercover often and was out of town even more. Hence the need for a different name. At the time though, Willa knew nothing about this man. But wanted to know more.

One lamp illuminated the living room, along with the lights of the city through the large windows. The Metropolis Loft condominium was spacious and has an open floor plan. Oak hardwood floors, jacuzzi bath and even a skyline view of Houston. Nothing but the best for his Willa.

His girl was already upstairs in bed. Doing some light reading while waiting for Roberts return. He had a meet about his upcoming traveling with his girlfriend and was getting the details on if or when he could leave. After taking off his jacket and shutting off the lamp, Rob went up the stairs to greet Willa.

“Hi.” Robert said whilst getting ready for bed.

“How did it go?” Willa asked. Not missing a beat and getting straight to the point.

“Boss approved. Said it was good idea and could possibly help find what he’s looking for.”

“I don’t think we’re going find his daughter in the middle of nowhere Maine.” The woman said. “Plus, I thought everyone already looked through the states.” Willa added.

“It never hurts to look again. She could easily be leaving as we show up.” Robert answered.

“So she’s a step a head of him? He must be real thrilled about that.” Willa says. Sarcasm laced in her words.

“Look!” Robert barked. “He’s pissed that we, he cant find her. The longer it takes to find her, the longer we’re all at risk to going to prison. She’s a threat to all of us and that makes her dangerous.”

“I’m sorry.” His girlfriend murmured. “You don’t have to take your frustration and anger out on me. I’m not the reason she left.”

“Neither is he. She left at her own accord. No one knows why. Other than her being a coward.” Robert calmly said.

“Do you think maybe she couldn’t handle it?” She asked.

Robert climb into the bed next to Willa. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It wasn’t the first time he had heard that question. It seemed to be a common one when all the other men were together and the boss was home or somewhere else entirely. They never dared to voice that particular question. In fear of getting punched or even worse. Killed.

What Robert learned about his new boss, was that he was crueler. He didn’t care for explanations. It was always ‘shoot first ask later’. His old boss had at least let his men have some dignity. Allowing them to repent why they crossed him. Possibly giving them a second chance. Which was usually the case. Unless what that man did was unforgivable.

It brought back a memory of Jordan Wolfe. The thirty-five year who helped do ‘business’ in Mexico for years. Ended up doing more trading for himself and keeping the profits, instead of giving it to the boss. That was what pissed off the old man. He didn’t like losing money for anything or to anyone. It was greed that he craved. Not the shooting, not the trading or the actual business, but the money. Cold hard cash was something he lived for. His grew up poor until his father joined. From there, he vowed to never live like that again.

“Robert?”

Willa pulled Rob from his thoughts. “I really don’t know.”

That night, Robert made a vow too. Looking around his condo, that he was thankful to be able to afford, he reminded himself why he played the game. The money, the adrenaline, a roof over his head, being able to give his girlfriend whatever she wants, and be able to put food on his table. But most importantly, if he found the boss’s daughter, he would get a hefty prize. The prize being the ‘business’. His vow? He vowed his loyalty to his boss and would do anything to get that prize. No matter what it took. Torture, kidnaping, even killing someone. He was willing to risk it all for the chance to become the next Boss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the Wayhaught meet long before I even knew where the story was going which why they meet at Shorty’s. Basically I played it safe not knowing if I was actually going to continue writing or even start the foundation of thr story. The Texas bit I wrote recently and realized that I had to make a slight adjustment. Chapter two’s Texas bit I brought back a year to make it fit into this chapter.


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wayhaught Date !!!

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 5:46 p.m. (EST)_

Walking into her house and into the kitchen, Nicole tossed her keys on the table. She had just over two hours before she had to be back at Shorty’s to pick Waverly up. After leaving the bar earlier, the redhead had suddenly became nervous.

Nicole avoided dating as much as possible. The fear of her past catching up to her, scared the living shit out of her. She never wanted the girl she was dating to find out about her past. Fearing that once they knew who she was, or more importantly, what her family does, they’d leave her. Being afraid of her or what she feared most, them giving away her position. Which is currently under wraps. Waverly though, Nicole wanted to believe that she was different. That she wouldn’t blame her for her past.

Back when she got her first letter from the brunette, Nicole thought it was from her family. Thinking that they finally found her and it was only a matter of time before they went and got her. Though it would be more like kidnapping. It was more their style anyways. Unfortunately, everything came with a price when it came to the ‘ _Haught family business_ ’. Just once, Nicole wanted to believe that her family had come to terms on her decision to leave instead of taking over. To be completely honest, she didn’t want anything to do it. It wasn’t right and it was down right unethical. Everything they did was illegal, and Nicole didn’t agree with it.

Thankfully, for the the redheads sake, the letter was obviously not from her family. Letting her breath a lot easier, knowing that her family still didn’t know where she was. Something that she definitely wasn’t going to tell anyone. Not even the very few family members that she stayed in contact with. It was better to stay safe than be sorry. Especially when her life depended on it.

Growing up, there were times when she wanted to know what her grandfather and father were up to. Always being secretive about certain things. ‘Business trips’ were always classified. Nicole could count on her fingers twice, they amount of ‘uncles’ she had. Her grandfathers and fathers ‘friends’ would be at their house all hours of the night on weekends. Couple of them stayed every night during her fathers business trips. To a young Nicole, that seems odd. But after a few times of it happening, she got used it. Her dads friends were also his employees, though after a couple of months of working for him they became a part of her family. Which is why she started calling them her uncles.

Teenager Nicole, on the other hand, wished that she never found out. Being kept in the dark was a blessing. Though when she thought about it, her entire childhood was her being prepared to take over for her father. Kick boxing lessons, endless hours of being at the gun range, and being put into situations were she had to think on her feet and build her leadership skills. Once she learned that she was her fathers successor, and the true details of ‘Haught Incorporated’, she wanted to run away and never look back.

To Nicole, the past was the past. Which meant it was suppose to stay there. Not follow her around at every second of the day. Which was the reason why she joined the military. Her family, as bad as they were, created a pact that military member would never be harmed. Unless under certain circumstances. That part of her life was something that she never wanted to be apart of. Something that disgusted her, more than anything. Considering what she’s seen during her time over seas, that was saying a lot. Her family lost contact with her once she had sign the dotted lines. More importantly, once she had graduated college, she went on deployment. Automatically and purposely losing contact with her family. If they couldn’t find Nicole, it meant that she was safe. _For now at least._

But as of right now, Nicole had better things to do. Which was getting ready for her date with the woman who had taken her breath away. The one and only, Waverly Earp. Just thinking about her, put a thousand watt smile on Nicole’s face.

After leaving the bar that late morning, the redhead decided that she was going to busy herself. Going back to the park, she decided that she was going to go kayaking. Something that she wanted to do again, after Waverly had mentioned it one of her letters. It was relaxing, which was something that Nicole needed. During her time out on the water, the older woman remembered that she didn’t have many dress shirts and figured she’d let Waverly help decide.

Nicole went about the remaining hours before her date getting ready for it. She had plenty of time to take a decent shower and relax under the hot water. Once she was done, she walked into her bedroom. Grabbing her clothes and quickly getting dressed. Nicole did a once over in the mirror before leaving to pick up Waverly. She also made sure that Calamity Jane had food and water in her dishes.

Looking down at her watch, she smiled. _I hope she doesn’t mind I’m a little early._ With that, Nicole grabbed her keys and was out the door, still sporting the thousand watt smile on her face.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 6:45 p.m. (EST)_

Looking at the clock, Waverly was starting to get jittery. She wanted to have plenty of time to get ready. But she also didn’t want Gus and Shorty to be the only ones working the bar. There was only fifteen minutes left to her shift, but she couldn’t focus clearly anymore. She was just to excited to be going out on a date with Captain Haught.

The fact that the woman she was crushing on from the park was the same one she’s randomly starting writing to. When Nicole walked in that morning, Waverly was instantly captivated. Sure she was covered in beer and was embarrassed, but the tall redhead didn’t make her feel that way. Through out the day, she thought about the outfit Nicole was wearing. It was simple but yet it made Waverly blush just thinking about it. Black jeans and a blue flannel, with the sleeves rolled up passed her elbows, with a navy blue shirt underneath to compliment the the flannel, all of which hugged the redhead in all the right places. The brunette could feel her heart beating faster, when she remembered that she decided to be brazen and walk into Nicole personal space and kiss her cheek.

Waverly shook her head trying to focus on the present. She looked up and luckily saw Gus. Who was talking to her Uncle Curtis at the other end of Shorty’s. She quickly walked over to them. “Hey Gus, is it alright if I head upstairs now?” A hopeful look in her eyes.

The short salt and peppered haired woman looked at her niece. Keeping a straight look on her face. “Darling, your shift doesn’t end for another..” she looks up at the clock. “Another 12 minutes.”

“I know, but..” pointing towards her uncle. “He’s here and he is supposed to be taking over for me anyways. Shorty’s isn’t even busy right now and won’t be until I’m gone.” Her eyes pleading, hands intertwined and near her mouth, Waverly bites her thumbs and begins to bounce on her toes. Not realizing that she’s doing it.

“Gus, let the poor girl go...Waverly I’ll be happy to cover for you.” Curtis stares at both woman and shakes his head.

“Thank you so much.” Hugging both her aunt and uncle, Waverly turns around and jogs to her apartment upstairs.

Gus finally smiles after Waverly left and looks at her husband. “That girl has been on cloud nine all day. Has she talked to you much about this Captain Haught?” There was concern in tone of voice.

“I know just as much as you, Dear. But Waverly is obviously smitten with this woman. When is this date suppose to be picking her up?” Curtis looked down at his wife with a small smile.

“Eight.”

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 7:50 p.m. (EST)_

Pulling up to the curb, Nicole parks her truck in front of Shorty’s. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she opens the door and gets out of her truck. Looking at her watch for the hundredth time, she notices that she’s ten minutes early. _Maybe she’ll think I’m to eager if I’m this early._ The redhead contemplates, leaning against her truck and decides to wait a few more minutes. _Oh fuck it. I rather be early than late. Beside I don’t mind waiting on a beautiful girl._ Nicole pushes herself off her truck and proceeds into Shorty’s.

Wiping down the bar, Gus caught the sight of an unfamiliar woman walking in. She looked around for Curtis, once she spotted him, she motion him over. He saw the same woman and noticed that she was to dressed up for the bar. He walked over and reached the counter at the same time as the woman.

“What can I do you for?” Gus says.

“I’m actually here to pick my date up? She lives in the apartment upstairs.”

“You must be Captain Haught.” Curtis reaches out his hand.

Nicole looks at the man for second and accepts his hand shake. “I am.”

“I’m Curtis McCready and this is my wife, Gus.” Gesturing towards the woman next to him. “We’re Waverly’s aunt and uncle.”

Nicole smiles. “It’s nice to meet you both. I am a little early though.”

“That’s alright darling. I’ll go let Waverly know you are here.” Gus gave Nicole a smile and left.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Waverly’s Apartment; Purgatory, Maine — 7:54 p.m. (EST)_

Waverly walked through her living whilst putting in her earrings. She decided to go with a causal dress. It was sleeveless black pencil dress with a white and pink floral print wrapping around the middle and stopped above the knee. She wore black two inches heels to try and help the height difference. Her earrings dangled three inches down with ivory roses, Austrian crystals and resin stones. Finishing up her hair with a side braid, she heard a knock on her door.

“Hi Gus.” Waverly says after opening the door and ties off her braid.

“Hi sweetheart. You look beautiful.”

“Thanks. Is there something you need?” Turning around, Waverly walks over to her couch to put her heels on.

“Nope. Just wanted to tell you that your Captain is here.” Gus says with a smirk.

Waverly snapped up from kneeling over. “She’s here!” She looked at the clock in the kitchen. “And she’s early. Can you tell her I’ll be right down, please.”

“Sure thing, darling.”

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 7:57 p.m. (EST)_

Coming down the stairs, Gus saw Nicole sitting at one of the tables. She walked over to the younger woman and Nicole instantly got up.

“Waverly will be down soon.”

“Thank you ma’am.” The Captain nodded.

Nicole walked over to the stairs and leaned against the wall. Taking in the scenery of the bar. There was about two dozen patrons through out the bar. Some sitting at tables, other playing pool or darts. While a few others were at the bar itself, refilling there drinks. Being in the military, the Captain was always cautious to her surroundings. Always keeping her body angled just right so she could see the door and everyone within the building that she was in. The only times that she wasn’t able to do that, was when the redhead was on military grounds and in class.

A few minutes go by and couple more people had entered Shorty’s. Nicole took one more glance around the bar before she heard a door open and close upstairs. She then starting hearing the sound of heels hitting the floorboards. She pushed off the wall and stood in front of the stairs. Her breath immediately caught in her throat the  
moment she laid eyes on Waverly at the top of the stairs. What Nicole didn’t notice, was Gus and Curtis watching the scene unfold, smiling at how the redhead is completely and utterly star struck by there niece.

Waverly stopped at the top of stairs and saw Nicole standing at the bottom. A small gasp escaped from her lips as her eyes scan up and down the Captains body. The older woman wearing black slacks with matching dress shoes, and a purple dress shirt with her hair pulled into a French braid. Waverly bites her bottom lip subconsciously, enjoying the view in front of her. She wondered what Nicole would look like if she added a skinny black tie to her attire.

After ogling for a minute, the brunette slowly walked down stairs. Catching the way the other woman was looking up and down her body a could of times before making eye contact and maintaining it. They both had smiles on there faces. Neither one of them noticed Gus and Curtis still watching from the bar. They two, are smiling.

Once a couple of steps from the bottom, Nicole reached out her right hand in hopes of Waverly taking it. Thankfully the shorter woman did. Nicole’s smile only got wider.

“You look absolutely beautiful.” Nicole breathed out, causing Waverly to blush a little.

“And you look quite dashing, Captain Haught.” Nicole felt her cheeks become warm and ducks her head.

Looking back up, Nicole catches Waverly eyes ranking up and down her body again. She smirks a little and does the same. “You ready to go?”

“Hm?” Waverly looks up and her face gets redder.

Nicole chuckled softly. “Are you ready to go?” She said again.

“Oh, yes. Just give me a sec.”

Waverly stepped off the stairs and lets go of the redheads hand. She walked over to her aunt and uncle and noticed a familiar face had joined them. She looks back and saw that Nicole had followed her over. Another smile etching across her face.

“Wynonna! I thought you weren’t coming here tonight?” The younger woman hugs her sister and turns back towards Nicole. “Wyn, this is Captain Nicole Haught... Nicole this Wynonna.”

“Nice to meet you.” Nicole put her right hand out. Wynonna looked at her sister, who is pleading with her to be nice. Compiling, she shook the taller woman’s hand.

While still gripping Nicole’s hand, Wynonna looks her straight in the eye. “Hurt my baby sister and no one will ever find your body.” The darker brunette let go of the Captain and stands back a little.

“ _Wynonna_.” Waverly hisses at her.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Though I think your sister would beat you to it.” Nicole winked at Waverly. “We should get going if were gonna make our reservation.”

“Where are you two going?” Gus interrupts them.

Still looking at Waverly, Nicole smirks and leaned towards the salt and peppered hair woman.“It’s a surprise.” She stage whispered.

“Ass.” Waverly says to herself but Nicole catches it.

“I have one.” Nicole starts lightly laughing. Watching as Gus and Curtis shake their heads.

“And sarcastic.”

“Only when the opportunity strikes.” Nicole said with a devious smile.

“I like this one, Waves.” Wynonna pips up.

“Anyways. Nonna, I’ll talk to you later. Uncle Curtis, Gus, I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Turning towards Nicole, Waverly grabs her arm and started pulling the redhead towards the door.

“It was nice meeting you y’all.” Nicole called out and waved to them.

Picking up her pace to reach the door first, Nicole pushed the door open and Waverly walked out first. Coming up behind her, the Captain points out her truck and quickly goes to the passenger door and opens it for the brunette. Helping her get it and letting her settle, Nicole closes the door and walks around her truck to gets in.

The drive to the restaurant was filled with laughter, when Waverly started telling a story about a childhood memory. Her and Wynonna would go bike riding almost everyday after school (when the oldest Earp wasn’t around) and noticed a police cruiser was always sat in the same spot. Some days they would watch the cop pull over people who were speeding by. Wynonna who was thirteen, realized that it was a speed trap and came up with a an idea to trick the cop.

The middle Earp painted a sign that said ‘speed trap ahead’. Of course, Waverly wanted to join her older sister, so she wrote a sign of her own. After a week of Wynonna going out and messing with the officer, Waverly decided to go out herself. By dinner time, Wynonna came walking back and noticed her little sister and immediately started to laugh. Waverly had turned around to see both her sister and a cop. The cop looked at her, the sign and then the bucket on ground that was filled with changed. Laughing just as hard as Wynonna.

“What did your sign say?”

Waverly started chuckling at the memory. “Tips.”

Trying to talk through her laughter she finally managed to ask her question. “How old.. were you?”

“Seven. The funnier part about this, is that my Uncle Curtis gave me the idea of the bucket.”

“He didn’t even punish you?” Nicole was astounded.

“No. He thought it was a great idea and he was the one who **gave** me the bucket. Gus on the other hand, that’s a different story. She did try though. Ending up losing the battle when the cop told her that he even he thought it was funny.”

“You’ve got be kidding.”

“Nope. The cop was ready to throw Wynonna in jail though, but when he saw me a few hundred yards away and saw the sign, he let us both off the hook. Only reason I turned around was because Nonna said something to me. I remember having the biggest grin on my face too.”

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Donatello’s; Ghost River, Maine — 8:25 p.m. (EST)_

Nicole pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and turned her truck her off. She Looked over at her date, noticing that Waverly had a small half smile and also looked lost in thought. The older woman still couldn’t believe that she was on a date with the most breathtaking woman she’d ever seen.

Shaking her head and glancing at the building that Nicole had parked near, Waverly eyes went wide. Her jaw slacked open and a small gasp fell from her lips. She turned to Nicole with excitement in her eyes and smile tugging at her lips. Pure adoration shone through Nicole’s eyes as she watched the smaller woman in the passenger seat.

Jumping out of her truck, Nicole quickly ran around to the passenger side to open the door and help Waverly out. Feeling a slight breeze, Nicole got into the back seat of her truck, grabbed her leather jacket and handed it to Waverly with a warm smile. The smaller woman had slowly rubbed her hands up and down her arms, cursing at herself for forgetting her own jacket. Thankfully for the Captain, the shorter woman took the offered coat. She also felt a little bit self satisfied with herself that she brought her jacket with her, knowing that she always had an extra sweatshirt and coat in her truck. Of course, she also forgot that little detail fifty percent of the time too. Not that Nicole would admit that to anyone though.

Every step they took, Nicole swore that there was a bounce to Waverly’s step. By the way she was acting, the redhead knew that the younger woman had never been to Donatello’s. After being seated, they started sharing more childhood memories. They stayed with the more happier ones rather than getting emotional. They ordered theirs meals and matching wine. After their meals arrived they ate in comfortable silence.

“So..” Nicole started. “I remembered from one your letters that you wanted to come to Donatello’s” she finished sheepishly.

“You remembered or you went back through them to find it?” Waverly questioned.

“Kinda hard to look through them when making the reservations in my truck ten minutes after I left Shorty’s.. plus I haven’t looked at that letter since I got it a couple of weeks ago. ”

Beaming at that the realization that Captain Haught remembered something from her letters, made her heart skip a beat. She wasn’t sure how the date would go, but she found Nicole to be the perfect gentlewoman. Their conversations weren’t forced and when ever there was silence between them it was always comfortable. To Waverly, all that meant everything to her. Especially Nicole remembering something so simple.

“That’s really sweet.” Waverly said in awe.

Without even noticing, they were at the restaurant for an hour and half. Nicole had talked about how she played basketball all four years of high school. How she took Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do from the age of eleven up until the age of eighteen. She talked about why she wanted to fly jets and helicopters for the military. Which to her, was a simple answer. Being able to be feel free and see the world beneath her was an exhilarating feeling to her. She had also saw a few Blue Angels performances before and that only intensified her desire to fly. She read hundreds of articles and even went as far as buying books about how to fly when she was fifteen, memorizing everything as well.

Waverly had talked about some of things that she’s been meaning to do but never really felt like she had time to do it. She talked about how she’s never seen the ocean and always wanted to. But now, she felt like she wanted to share the experience with someone else when she saw it for the first. Whether it was with family or friends or even someone that she cared for. What she didn’t say, was that she wanted to see the ocean with the woman that she loved. She mentioned horse back riding. Something that she hadn’t done in over a year. Even though her Uncle Curtis and Aunt Gus did live on a ranch and owned a few horses. All she had to do was tell them she was going for ride. Waverly also admitted that she still hadn’t gone kayaking since telling that the Captain in one of her letters. Which was admitted at the beginning, because Nicole had asked about it. Another thing that she had remembered.

After Nicole had paid for the meals, only after having a brief argument with Waverly, who wanted to pay for her half. Nicole told Waverly that under no circumstances, was she going to pay for half. It just wasn’t how Captain did things. She asked the younger woman out which meant she paid for everything. No matter what look the brunette gave her. Though if looks could kill, Nicole would be dead. Something that actually intimidated her, but she wasn’t going to admit that Waverly any time soon. Walking out to Nicole’s truck, the redhead look over at her date, who was looking up at the stars.

“Do you like star gazing?”

“Yeah, I do. I love trying to find as many constellations as I can.” Waverly said still looking up at the dark sky. Nicole made mental note of that.

“Would you like to go for a walk... with me?” Nicole questioned nervously.

Looking down from the stars and gazing into soft brown eyes, Waverly felt the same warm sensation that she’d been feeling all evening. “Sure.” A cold breeze came across and she shivered. Wishing that she had taken Nicole’s offer on wearing her jacket on the way out of Donatello’s. The brunette blinked once and the jacket that was draped over the redheads arm was now being offered again.

“Here, put this on. Please.” Stepping around her date, the Captain opened the jacket so Waverly could put her arms in it.

Once the jacket was fasten to the younger woman satisfaction, she turned around and Nicole cautiously reached out her hand. Waverly glanced down then back up to meet Nicole’s adorable dimpled smile and warm tender eyes. Graciously taking the offered hand and interlacing their fingers, the brunette looked back up to meet the soft brown eyes that she could easily get lost in, though in this case, she did. _God she has beautiful eyes. I would truly be okay with looking into these eyes forever. Forever? A little soon to be thinking that. Right?_ A light pull on her arm took her out of her thoughts. To her, she was perfectly okay with that. It brought her back to reality and reality was, she was on a date Captain Nicole Haught. A date she also was very thankful was not ending just yet.

They walked for a good part of an hour before returning back to Nicole’s truck. Most of it was in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. Not once did it feel awkward during the silence or feel the need to say something to break it. Occasionally they would both steal glances at one another, appreciating the view. A few times the both of them caught each other looking. Instead of looking away quickly, they gave each other the same sweet and tender smile. As they reached Nicole’s truck, the redhead unlocked it, opened the door for Waverly and helped her get in. After making sure was her date was situated, she quickly got in and started her way back towards Shorty’s.

The drive back was quiet. Due to Waverly falling asleep. She had worked Friday night and than had to work that morning. So she wasn’t able to to get much sleep in between shifts. Nicole didn’t mind though. She found completely adorable. _God, she’s is beautiful when she’s sleeping. Wow! I sound like a creep and a stocker. Pay attention to the road, Haught._

**____________________**

 

_ Saturday, September 17, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 11:17 p.m. (EST) _

Pulling back into Shorty’s for the third time that day, though she didn’t mind it in the least bit, Nicole glanced over to the sleeping woman in her passenger seat. Waverly’s cheek was leaning on her right shoulder, while her head was against the window. _I’m asking her out again._ As much as she didn’t want to, she had to wake her up. Lightly putting her right hand on Waverly’s shoulder, she gently shook it.

“Waverly.” Nicole said softly. Trying not to startle her date. “Waverly, we’re here.”

“Huh.” Her voice deep with sleep, Waverly slowly moved herself into an upright position and looked over at Nicole. Who had already removed her hand from the shorter woman’s shoulder and was staring at her with complete adoration.

“We’re back at Shorty’s.” Keeping her soft tone, Nicole gave her date a small but warm smile.

“I can’t believe I fell asleep.”

“You’ve been working the last couple of days with very little sleep. So it’s okay.” Watching the brunette reach for the door handle, Nicole reached over and lightly touched Waverly’s knee. “Let me?”

Waverly looked down at the hand touching her and a lazy grin came across her face. Lifting her head and turning to look back at Nicole again, she gave a slight nod and took her hand off the handle. She watched Nicole get out of the truck and walk over to the passenger side door. _I truly hope she asks me out again._

After helping her date out of the truck for the last time of the night, Nicole walked Waverly to the front doors of the bar. Shorty’s was still open but to the Captain, first dates always ended at the door. Even though this wasn’t the door to Waverly’s apartment, she still thought of it as such. Stopping just to the side of the entrance, just in case if patrons were to enter or leave, the redhead stood with her hands in her pants pockets and gave the shorter woman a hopeful and joyous smile.

“I had wonderful time tonight, Nicole.”

“As did I.”

“Would you like to come for a drink.”

“As much as I’d love to continue this, I really must be heading back. I have class tomorrow and I’ll need as much sleep as I can get.”

“Class?” Waverly stared at Nicole with a confused and questioning look.

“Once every few weeks, I teach a class to young adults who want to learn how to fly planes. I rotate with a few other pilots. It’s something that I had joined shortly after moving here.” Nicole answered proudly.

“That’s really sweet of you.. I’ll be working the night shift tomorrow if you happened to be around.”

“I’ll remember that.”

With that, Waverly took a couple of steps towards Nicole, bringing one hand atop of one of the Captains shoulders and the other around an arm. She leaned up on her tippy toes and kissed Nicole on the cheek, like she had that morning. Stepping back she gave a warm and affectionate smile towards the woman who had a goofy looking grin on her face. Waverly chuckled to herself knowing that yet again, she put the taller woman in a trance.

“Goodnight Captain Haught.”

“Goodnight Waverly.” Nicole said, mirroring the same smile that her date gave her. Only difference was, her dimples were more pronounced than they have been in really long time.

Nicole opened the door to Shorty’s for Waverly. As the younger woman slipped in, they shared one last smile. That night both woman went to bed with a smile that reached their eyes while thinking about one another.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Donatello’s is a place I found in Cold Lake, Canada. Which is originally the location I had picked before changing it to my home state.


	8. Eight

_Sunday, September 18, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 12:15 p.m. (EST)_

Scanning across the room to make sure a certain brunette beauty wasn’t around and then looking to find either Waverly’s aunt or uncle, Nicole made her to the Shorty’s. Sitting down in one of empty stools, she continued to glance around in hopes to find either of the two people that she’s looking for. Also hoping that Waverly wouldn’t appear either. She had no idea if the shorter woman would be there or not. She knew that the woman had to work that night but didn’t know when her shift started.

Coming out of the kitchen with plates of food in both hands, Gus noticed a certain redhead sitting in her bar. Waverly didn’t mention that the Captain was coming over, especially since her niece left two hours ago for the day. Curiosity filled the older woman’s mind. She walked passed the bar and gave a quick response to Nicole on her way through.

“I’ll be right with you, Captain.”

Nicole nodded her head even though she wasn’t sure if Gus had actually saw it or not. She watched the older woman walk towards one of the tables that had a man who looked to be in his early thirties and a little girl who was probably no older than ten years old. For the way the two interacted, she assumed they were father and daughter. Admiring the pair, the redhead didn’t notice Gus walking towards her.

“What can I do you for, Captain?”

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Nicole turned her attention to the shorter woman, who is now standing behind the bar. Before the Captain could answer her question, Gus continued to talk.

“I assume you are not here for Waverly? She and sister left later this morning and won’t be back until her shift starts.”

The Captain felt her body relax at the new found information on Waverly’s whereabouts. It meant that she didn’t have to be on alert and make up an excuse as to why she was there. Yes, she was planning on asking the brunette out again and she already knew how she was going to do it. Now it was a matter of setting up for the date. Which required a little extra help from Waverly’s family.

“No, I’m not here Waverly. I’m actually here to speak with you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Last night, Waverly mentioned a few things that she’s been wanting to do and I was wondering if you could help me out with that?”

Gus looked at the woman across from her and couldn’t help but smile. This woman that she had only met the night before, was already going out of her way to make her niece happy. From the way Waverly had acted when she came walking in last night, you would of thought she was walking through another universe. She remembered her niece saying that she hoped for Nicole to ask her out again. The older woman was happy to know that Waverly was going to get her wish.

“I’ll be glad to help if it means keeping Waverly happy and from the smile on her face last night, I can only assume that it was your doing.”

“I sure do hope so. It was one of the best dates I’ve ever had and I’d love nothing more than to continue seeing her.”

The salt and pepper haired woman could see how much Nicole was sincere in her statement. Out of all of the dates that Waverly had had over the years, not one came to pick her up. From what her niece told her, Nicole wouldn’t let her open any doors or even pay for half the meal. Not to mention, the Captain had lent her her jacket, to which she never asked for it back after dropping Waverly off. Of course that morning, when the brunette left to get Wynonna, she left while wearing Nicole’s jacket. Either way, the redhead was a perfect gentlewoman to her niece and it wouldn’t go unnoticed.

“Well Captain Haught, I’m please to hear that. Now, how can I help you with what ever you have planned?”

“Well, I was wondering if I could bring Waverly to your place so we could go riding.” Nicole said with hopefulness in her voice.

“That girl hasn’t gone riding in quite some time. I’m sure she’ll love it. Did she also mention the trails we have behind our ranch?”

“Yes ma’am, she did. I also know that Waverly is suppose to be on the morning shift again on Saturday and I was wondering if it you wouldn’t mind changing it so she was working the night shift?” The nervousness that she felt had sadly shown in Nicole’s tone of voice. She really wanted to do this since it’s been years since she went riding, but more importantly, it was something to cross off of Waverly’s list.

“Once that girl is on a horse, It’ll be hard press trying to get her back off. Luckily for you, I can convince her dear sister to work for her.”

“Thank you Mrs. McCready. You wouldn’t happened to know which trail Waverly likes best, would you?”

“I can do one better if you’re interested?”

“What you have in mind?” Nicole questioned the older woman with a hopeful smile.

“I can show you myself, if you’re up for it? That way there, you’ll also know where the ranch is instead of asking my niece for directions.” Gus gave Nicole a smirk. Knowing that her offer was only feeding fuel to the fire for the woman who was trying to woo her youngest niece.

A dimpled grin shone through on the redheads face. She wasn’t expecting that kind of hospitality from someone that she just met, but she surely wasn’t going to pass up on the offer either. Nicole wasn’t lying to Gus when she said that it was best date she’d ever have. Though the Captain has only been on few dates since joining the military, none of which even came close to what she had experienced last night. None of them even got a second date either. If she was being completely honest with herself, Nicole had never felt a connection as deep as the one she felt for Waverly. One she truly hoped to figure out.

“How can I refuse an offer like that?”

“You don’t, kid.” Gus laughed lightly as she walks away from the Captain to go attend to another patron. When she came back, the salt and peppered hair woman gave Nicole another offer. “I could show this afternoon if your not busy, Captain. Even throw in a homemade meal for ya.”

“Ooh as tempting as that is, I have to decline. I have a date with the sky tonight.”

“Military related?”

“Pure pleasure. Nice to be able to fly without restrictions. But if your offer stands for tomorrow, I’m free after four.”

“Tomorrow it is.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Be careful flying tonight.”

“Always ma’am.”

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, September 18, 2016 ~ Ghost River Triangle Activity Center; Ghost River, Maine — 10:30 a.m. (EST)_

Parking in front of a building that used to be an old high school, Wynonna turned in the driver seat to look at her baby sister. She knew Waverly came here to play pool or practice her bowling skills, not that she needed it much, but the darker brunette just wanted to spend time with her sister.

With the youngest Earp constantly working and going to school, it seemed like she never saw her anymore. Other than when Waverly was at work, of course. It wasn’t the same though. Sure, she could talk to her while she served patrons, but it wasn’t like they could talk talk. Especially the kind of talk that other people should not be listening into. But to Wynonna, it was fun trying to make Waverly beat red in the face in front other people.

What got to Wynonna the most about today’s adventures, was the fact that Waverly, who always told her older sister about her dates, had not said anything about her date last night with a certain redheaded Captain. A date in which ended with her little sister sporting a new jacket that certainly didn’t belong to her. Only reason why she knew it didn’t belong to the shorter girl, was because when she left for date last night, Waverly didn’t have coat on or with her. But when she came back, she was wearing a woman’s leather jacket was that a size to big for her baby sister. What also caught Wynonna off guard was how quiet Waverly was being. Something that, yes, was common, but when the two haven’t spend any proper time together in a few weeks, was very uncommon.

“Babygirl, you haven’t said a word to me since we left Shorty’s.”

“What?” Waverly was pulled from her thoughts and looked at her sister.

Changing tactics, Wynonna decided to pry some information out of her. “Nice jacket.”

“It’s Nicole’s.” Waverly said while looking down at the article of clothing. Her cheeks turning a shade of red at the same time.

“I kinda figured. Surprised you didn’t give it back.”

“Forgot I was still wearing it. Just means it’ll give her a reason to come see me again.”

“You like her, huh?” Curiosity filled Wynonna’s mind.

“Yea I do and if your wondering, our date was amazing.”

“Where did she take you?”

“Donatello’s. Nonna, I mentioned that restaurant in one of my letters and she remembered it. Like actually remembered it. Nicole told me that she made reservations shortly after leaving Shorty’s.”

“She probably just said that to impress you.” Wynonna said dismissively and flatly, with a bit of sharpness in it.

“No, Wynonna. The way and how she said it, she was sincere about it. I know you’re being protective, especially since Nicole is in the military, but I can handle my myself. She was really sweet and caring. Was actually interested in what I had say. Hell, she wouldn’t even let me pay for half the meal and we had a debate over it too. Plus, I wasn’t even able to open a single damn door.”

“I’m sure some of your other dates were like that too.”

“ **No** date has ever treated me like that before.”

Waverly wanted to be mad at her sister. She knew Wynonna was just looking out for her, but her older sister knew how bad those dates went. Ninety-five percent of her dates never got a second one. Never mind actually wanting to go on another date. Nicole is the first woman to treat her with such respect and it really threw the younger brunette off. What she didn’t tell Wynonna, was the connection she felt with the Captain. One she hoped was a mutual feeling and hoped to explore it more.

Wynonna felt sorry for making her baby sister upset. She’s watched her get hurt to many times over the years. Her being one of the reasons. Taking off when she turned seventeen to travel the world, didn’t help her sister. It just meant that she was another family member that left. Hurting Waverly in the process. The darker brunette wasn’t the best role model growing up either. Sadly ending up in jail a few times when she was a teenager for fighting and doing other really stupid things. Like ‘borrowing’ someone’s car for a joyride, or stealing liquor from the bar. Either way, Wynonna’s life decisions hurt her sister and she had to make it up to her. Even if it meant being overly protective and trying to make light of her sisters dating life. Never once had she seen Waverly be so happy about a date, never mind defending one. All she wanted was for her baby sister to be happy. Even if her happiness lies with someone who has some sort or badge and authority.

“I’m sorry, Waves. You know I don’t like people who deal with law enforcement or the government.” Wynonna said sincerely.

“I know you don’t. It isn’t like me and Nicole don’t know each other. Yes, we officially met yesterday, but we’ve been friends for weeks. You just need to trust me, okay?” Waverly tried sympathizing.

“Okay, Babygirl.” Quickly changing subjects, in hope of Waverly getting her hint, when she nods towards the building . “You ready to have some fun now?”

“Most definitely. Let’s do this.” Waverly jumps out of the Jeep and starts walking towards the center.

 

**____________________**

 

_Monday, September 19, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 11:22 a.m. (EST)_

For a Monday lunch hour it was slowly starting to pick up. Gus and Curtis were already working, and conversing about their evening guess coming over later. They had to keep it low key and try not to mention the name of said guest. Both Waverly and Wynonna were within earshot, so they tried to be subtle about keeping the conversation to themselves. Not that those two were paying any attention anyways.

Wynonna was to busy enjoying her box of donuts that she had no intentions on sharing. Waverly was pining over Nicole. Hoping to hear from her today. They were completely radio silence yesterday. Waverly wanted to text Nicole, but she knew the Captain was busy and didn’t want to disturb her. They all went about themselves. Gus and Curtis minding the bar, Waverly trying to work on a school project, and Wynonna devouring donuts like she hasn’t eaten in weeks.

Ten minutes goes by and a man comes in with a bouquet of flowers neatly arranged in a red vase. The only person that noticed the man walking in was Gus.

“Can I help you, sir?” Glancing over at her youngest niece, hoping that she would look up. Gus shakes her head when she realized Waverly wasn’t going to.

“I’m looking for a Miss Waverly Earp. I was told to drop these off here.” At this point, the shorter brunette’s head snapped up at from her schoolwork. Immediately getting up and walking towards the man.

“That would be me.” A smile formed on Waverly’s face.

The younger woman grabbed the vase and placed them down on the nearest table. It was a beautiful arrangement with twelve pink roses and a few baby’s breath to compliment the colors. She wasn’t sure who they were from yet. Searching for the card, she desperately hoped that they were from a certain redhead.

“Thank you.” Waverly said. The man nodded and walked away.

It took her a minute to find the card but when she did, she practically ripped it open. Recognizing the hand writing, her smile grew even more. Once she grabbed the rectangular stocked card, she noticed there was two of them.

She read the first one:

_Waverly I had an amazing time Saturday night._  
_It was truly the best date I’ve ever had._  
_Did you know pink roses symbolize_  
_Happiness, elegance, romance,_  
_Admiration, sweetness and thank you._  
_Everything I feel for you._

A single silent tear ran down her face as she moved the first card behind the next one.

The second card read:

_This is going to be corny_  
_but it here goes_  
_Roses are red_  
_Violets are blue_  
_I’d love to go on another date with you._

_-Captain Haught_

_P.S: text me the answer when you get these._

 

“Who are they from, sweetheart” Gus came up behind Waverly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Admiring the bouquet of flowers.

Quickly grabbing her phone from her back pocket, she sent Nicole a text. Simply texting ‘ _YES!_ ’ to her.

“Nicole. She wants another date with me.”

“Looks like you got what you wanted, Babygirl.” Wynonna called over while shoving yet, another donut into her mouth.

A few minutes had gone by since Waverly texted Nicole her answer. She had shown the cards to her aunt and uncle who gave their niece a warm and happy smile. The both of them appreciating the way the Captain had asked out the shorter brunette, again. None of them had noticed that the same man who delivered the flowers had came back with another bouquet of roses. This time, they were red.

“Got one more for you miss.” The man grinned and placed the second vase down next to first one he had brought in.

“Thank you again.”

“Oh, this is for you.” He reached into his jacket, pulled out a cream colored envelope and handed it Waverly.

“Thanks.” She watched the man leave this time before carefully opening the envelope that was now in her hands. The front of it had her first name written on it, with Nicole’s elegant cursive hand writing.

Opening the envelope and pulling out the card, Waverly’s smile grew even bigger. The front was covered with red and white roses that read: Today I caught myself smiling for no reason... She opened it and continued reading: then I realized I was thinking about you. Another silent tear rolled down Waverly’s face. No one had ever been this romantic towards her and it was an overwhelming feeling that she welcomed. A feeling that she was loving as well. The brunette noticed that Nicole had also written in the card as well.

_Saturday at 1 1 am. Dress casual. Recommend attire: jeans or at least comfortable pants. By the way, you have Saturday off.  
_

_-Captain Haught_

_Also, bring my jacket. You’ll need something warm to wear._

 

“Gus, why does this say I’m not working on Saturday?” Looking at her aunt with a confused look, the brunette tried to figure out what was going on.

Gus squeezed her nieces shoulder and walked away. “Because you have the day off, darling.”

“But I have the morning shift. Nicole knows that. So why is she picking me up when my shift starts?” Continuing to try to read her aunts almost expressionless face, Waverly decides to ask one more question. “Did Nicole ask you to give me Saturday off and if she did, when did she do it?”

“I can’t give you a day off, darling? Who’ve been working plenty of doubles for me over the last couple of weeks and you deserve a day off. If just so happens to be the same day Captain Haught wants to take you out again, then it’s just a mere coincidence.”

“Fine. I’ll believe you for now. Wynonna, you’ve been painfully quiet over there.” Turning to her and noticed that she wasn’t paying any attention at all.

“Just minding my business, Babygirl. I know you wanted another date with her and you got it. So there’s nothin’ to say.”

“Ooh kay. I’m gonna go and bring my flowers upstairs. Finish working on my school work as well. I’ll be back down when my shift starts. Love you all.”

“Love you.”

 

**____________________**

 

_ Monday, September 19, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 4:35 p.m. (EST) _

“Excuse me miss.”

Waverly turned her head at the sound of a familiar voice. Instantly smiling at the sight of dimpled redheaded Captain. Also admiring the way the taller woman looked in her camo’s. She looked into Nicole’s eyes, seeing a mischievous look in them and she decided to play along.

“Yes.”

“I need some help finding someone.”

_Looking for someone huh? Sure, okay Haught._ “Oh yea? What they look like?” Curious as to what the redhead would say next, Waverly leaned towards Nicole on the counter.

“Well.. She’s a brunette and has hazel eyes. Really beautiful but also extremely short. Like I could lose her in a crowd short.” Giving a playful smirk and waggle of eyebrows, Nicole waited for Waverly’s response.

“You know, you’re kind of a dick.” The brunette said jokingly.

Looking down at crouch then back up to the woman in front of her, Nicole continued. “Got to have one to be one.” She said seriously.

She wasn’t sure if was the gesture or how serious the Captain was when saying such a line like that. But Waverly, for the life of her could not contain the laughter that came erupting out of her. Never in her wildest of dreams, did she think that someone could come up with something so witty. Sure it was sexist, but even when given at a serious tone, she knew Nicole was joking.

Working in a bar for the last few years, you tend to learn a thing or two about people being sexist. Sadly the majority of patrons that came into Shorty’s were men. Some were nice and others felt the need to say ‘this is were women belong.’ Along with a pinch to her ass. Unfortunately those same men didn’t care about boundaries. To them, she was just a piece of meat. After the third night of it happening, the brunette decided that she was going to put matters into her own hands and showed them what happened when you messed with an Earp.

The hand that would try to pinch her would end behind the guys back with his head slammed into the table. ‘Treat me with me respect or I break your arm.’ Is what Waverly would say to them. Usually she would get in trouble for threatening a customer but after Gus, Curtis and Shorty found out that she was getting harassed, they were pleased that Waverly knew how to take care of herself. Three weeks into working for Shorty’s, all the patrons knew not to piss off the shorter woman. When new people came in, they were subtlety warned not to touch her. Unless they wanted to leave with a headache before getting completely drunk. Though three years in, she still dealt with it. But it also didn’t mean she couldn’t laugh at a joke. Whether it was meant to be sexist or not. Which is Nicole’s case, it wasn’t.

Taking in a few deep breaths to slow down her rapidly beating heart, from laughing a little to hard, Waverly gripped the counter to collect herself some more. She would of been embarrassed by how much she was laughing but when Nicole joined in, she just didn’t care anymore. Both woman were flushed, chest raising and falling a little to fast, but slowly graduating back to normal. Waverly was the first to speak after collecting herself a bit more.

“Thank you for the roses by the way.”

“I hope I didn’t over do it. I wanted to send you roses to say thank you for going out with me. Then I got the idea of asking you out again by using flowers and a really cheesy poem.”

“I thought it was sweet and I love them.” Waverly leaned over the counter some more and kissed Nicole’s cheek.

“Well, your welcome and I’m glad you like the flowers.” The Captain said, blushing.

Walking out of the kitchen, Gus saw Nicole talking to Waverly. She couldn’t help but watch them for a minute. Not having a clue on what they were talking about, she saw her niece kiss the Captain’s cheek. When she noticed that the redhead was blushing and staring at her niece like she hung the moon, the salt and peppered haired woman knew she would be good for Waverly.

Looking behind Waverly, Nicole saw Gus walking towards them. Bringing her gaze back to the woman directly in front of her, she smiled again.

“As much as I’d like to stay and chat this evening, I came over to just to see if you liked your flowers.” Nicole said.

“That the only reason?” Waverly questioned her.

“Well that, and to see your beautiful face.” Nicole winked, making Waverly blush.

The Captain went to leave but a hand grabbed on of her wrists lightly. She looked down and her eyes followed up the arm of the other woman. The moment hazel eyes met her brown ones, Nicole could see the warmth and adoration in them. There was something else in the brunettes eyes, but the taller woman thought nothing of it. _It’s to early to be thinking like that, Haught! So knock it off._

One side of the Nicole’s lips tugged up and she hoped she was matching the same look Waverly was giving her. She must of been, since the shorter woman’s smile grew even bigger. Causing the Captains breathing to hitch. She cleared her throat, leaned forward and kissed Waverly on the cheek.

“I’ll uh.. I’ll talk to you soon. Text me if you want?” Nicole could feel her face get warmer when she saw Gus smirking at her.

“Sure.” Is all Waverly could say. She was still in a state of shock from the Captain’s actions. She wasn’t expecting Nicole to kiss her cheek and from the look on the other woman’s face too, she didn’t either.

Gus came around the counter and said her goodbyes to Waverly. Her shift had ended at four but had to wait for Nicole to get out of work as well and come to the bar. Shorty’s and the military base weren’t that far apart. It was probably all of a half an hour drive, considering both Purgatory and the Ghost River Triangle Base were on the outskirts of everything.

After watching her niece compose herself, she gave the Captain one more kiss to the cheek and went about serving the new patrons that had just come in. Both woman left the saloon and started walking back to their vehicles.

“You ready there Captain?” Gus called over to Nicole. Their vehicles were surprisingly not that far from each other.

“Most definitely. Lead the way.”

 


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wayhaught’s second date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has left comments and kudos. It means a lot and it helps me to push myself to continue writing and actually want to finish this story! With that being said, I just finished writing chapter 12 and will be starting chapter 13 very soon.

_Saturday, September 24, 2016 ~McCready Ranch; Purgatory, Maine— 11:36 a.m. (EST)_

For the beginning of Fall, the temperature had already started to changed. Some days it felt like summer and was eighty degrees. Today was not one of those days. Ironically, fifty degrees in northern New England during the Fall was much colder than fifty degrees during the Spring. Today was one of those days that a jacket was needed due to the light breeze and the temperature being around the mid forties. Nicole mentally patted herself on the back for checking the weather a week in advance and then again, a few days prior to see if it had changed.

Driving towards the outskirts of Purgatory, Waverly noticed the direction they were heading in. Not knowing if Nicole knew that she was heading near Uncle Curtis’s ranch made her wonder what her hope-to-be-soon-girlfriend, was up to. Sure there were on one of the roads that could take you the big city, but still, curiosity always got the best of her.

The closer they got to the ranch, the more the brunette started to get antsier. Curiosity really was going to kill her. Taking a quick glance over at the bundle of nerves in her passenger seat, Nicole smirked at herself. She knew Waverly would catch on to where they were going, but by the way she was acting, the redhead started questioning herself. _Maybe she thinks we’re just driving by? Why is she so nervous all of sudden? God, she’s so cute being like that. I really hope she doesn’t mind that we’re doing this?_

Nicole had started planning this date the moment Waverly mentioned it at dinner last week. When asking Gus for help, the older woman happily obliged. Anything to make her niece happy. Gus had offered to help in any way just so it would be perfect for the Captain. As much as Nicole wanted to be able to do everything herself, she knew it would be almost impossible. So taking up on the offer was the only way to make everything go according to plan. Sure, it seemed ridiculous to go a little bit overboard on the second date, but the redhead didn’t really care. She really liked the shorter woman and wanted nothing more than to show her that. Praying that everything will go smoothly today.

Turning onto the long driveway of the ranch, Nicole glanced over at Waverly again. She can’t tell if the woman is relieved or upset that they pulled into her aunt and uncles place. It had been awhile since the brunette had been there. Ever since she started school and working full time at Shorty’s, there was never any free time for herself. Like she had told Nicole, she’d been meaning to go, but didn’t. Not that the younger woman didn’t want to, just never thought about it. But apparently telling your date that, meant she no longer had a reason of not going, because said date had a plan up her sleeve. If the the smirk that was planted across the redheads face had anything to go by.

Just as Nicole rolled to a stop in front of the ranch style home, the front door opened and Gus appeared in the doorway. She smiled as she watched the Captain get out and walk over to the passenger side to open the door for her niece. When Waverly talked about her date last week and how chivalrous Nicole was, Gus didn’t quite believe her. Now actually witnessing some of what it, she started to believe that her niece was telling the truth. Not to mention the fact that they were at her house for a date that was planned to hopefully sweep Waverly off her feet completely. Not that she wasn’t already, but the the the older woman wasn’t going to tell the redhead that.

Waverly was still clueless on why they were at her aunt and uncle’s place. She didn’t know that Nicole knew where the ranch was. _Had she and Gus planned this? Was my aunt even in on it? Why does Nicole look like she is hiding something but yet looks like a kid in candy in store Why are we here anyways?_ Slowly walking side by side towards the house, the brunette garbs Nicole’s hand and laces their fingers together.

Nicole looked down at her hands, then at the smaller woman beside her. Waverly continued to looked forward while she walked to the house. Taking a quick peek at the redhead to see the smile on her face. A small grin of her own graced her face. At the same time, the younger woman was not paying any attention to the way her aunt was looking at them.

A couple feet from the steps, Nicole began lightly tugging on Waverly’s arms to direct her to the barn behind the house. A questioning looked appeared and the only thing the Captain could do was smile, flashing her dimples as well. The brunette shook her head but followed none the less. Nicole turned her head to look at Gus who was now walking towards her own truck. The older woman gave two thumbs up and smile that said ‘everything is set to go’. Throwing her free hand behind her back, the redhead gave her own thumbs up and returned the smile. Hoping that it said ‘thank you so much.

Since getting her flowers and a request for another date, Waverly spent hours upon hours trying to figure out what the hell her date had planned. Sure, she liked surprises, but when it came to this date, she wanted to know everything. Which resulted in her being annoyed and impatient. She hated that she was starting to feel that way. The excitement of going on a second date is what caused her to become a little over zealous when it came to wanting to know any detail that pertained to said date. It was truly hard to contain the happiness. Even after one date, Waverly wanted to spend more time with the older woman. A few hours during the shorter woman’s shift during the past week, just didn’t seem like it was enough.

During that time, Waverly couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss Nicole. She day dreamed about grabbing the redheads flannel but the collar of her shirt, dragging the woman over the counter top and pulling her into a searing kiss. One that would leave them both breathless. Imagining that the older woman’s lips were soft and tender upon her own, one of them deepening the kiss by brushing their tongue against then others lower lip. Signing when their tongues met and wished that their wasn’t a bar between them so their bodies to be closer to one another. The brunette over filled quite a few drinks when ever she started thinking about all the different ways of her and Nicole sharing their first kiss together. Wynonna noticed how peculiar her little sister was acting and called her out on the ‘heart eyes’ that she was making. Of course, the youngest Earp denied it but still blushed at the thought. She wondered if Nicole thought about it as much as her or if the Captain even wanted to kiss her. Without realizing it, a small frown graced her lips as they continued walking to the barn.

Nicole saw the change in Waverly’s face and starting doubting herself. _Maybe it was bad idea to do this? I think I should of gone with going to the park to go kayaking. Though her aunt did say it was a good idea and that Waverly would love it. Maybe I’m just reading it wrong. Yea, that’s it. I’m reading it wrong. I hope.._

Going around the house Waverly stopped dead in her tracks. Staring. Two horses stood, saddled up with the reins tied to the paddock. One, a black friesian horse, with the mane that reach just past its neck. The front mane that ran down its face was cut short enough so the horse could see. The other, a brown with white stockings, American paint horse. The American had a white blaze on its face and had a black mane that also matched the friesian’s. Along with its hair cut style.

A medium sized picnic basket sat upon one of the posts, far enough away so neither of the horses could knock it over. The shorter woman took in the scene in front of her.

“Nicole, what..” Waverly started but was caught off by Nicole.

“Is this is okay?” She said nervously.

Waverly stepped in front of the redhead and looked her straight in eye. “This is definitely okay.” She said with certainty.

Waverly took one of Nicole’s hands in both of hers and started playfully pulling her to the horses. The smile on the brunette’s face gave the Captain the answer she was looking for. Letting out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding, Nicole let her date lead the way. A smile came across the redheads face that reached her eyes while she watched the other woman practically skip along the way.

“How’s my pretty girl?” Waverly said as she stopped in front of the black Friesian. Running one of her hands along the horses neck and heart girth while the other one rubbed the friesians muzzle. The horse responded back by wrapping its neck and head around the small woman’s body. She giggled at the small gesture and returned it by hugging the animals neck.

Nicole watched as she ran a hand down the other horses face and muzzle. “I’m a little jealous of your friend.” She whispered. “So.” The redhead spoke up so Waverly could hear her. “You gonna introduce me to your friend and also this one who is kind of enough to keep me company?”

When Nicole came by the ranch on Monday, her and Gus didn’t ride the horses when going up to the trials. Gus had decided to use Curtis’s 2012 PROWLER HDX 700I. The older woman and her husband didn’t ride much. The few horses that they had were for their company than anything else. The Captain would find out later in the day, that Waverly’s aunt and uncle use to breed and sell registered American Paint Horses back in the day before retiring from it.

“You have, Houdini.”

“Do I dare ask why you are called that?” Nicole gave the horse in front of her a questioning look.

The brunette chuckled. “He’s really good at magic.” The Captain looked back and forth between the smaller woman and Houdini.

“Just like you.” Nicole laughed.

“Ass.” Waverly whispered to herself. “He gets out of her stall and ends up in the paddock every morning. Mind you, both his stall and barn doors are closed.”

“So he knows how to open doors?”

“That’s where the Houdini part comes in. When Uncle Curtis and Aunt Gus do the chores in the morning, the doors are still closed but he’s out running around like he’s king shit because Houdini is the only one that can do it. Not to mention, when he was foul, he’d somehow end up in the house.” Waverly started laughing at the look Nicole was giving her. “We still don’t know how Mr. King Shit done it and how he still does it. Thankfully he doesn’t come into the house anymore. ”

“Well Houdini.” The Captain turned her attention back to the brown horse next to her. “No funny business while we’re out or you won’t get any treats.”

“Oh and this black beauty.” Waverly rubbed the mares face absentmindedly. “Is Midnight ‘Lucky’ Silver.”

Nicole carefully watched the brunette as she traced a certain part on the mares shoulder. From a distances, it looked like nothing. But how Waverly was slowly gliding over the same spot, the redhead knew that there was a reason why the horse had the word ‘lucky’ as part of her name. She had inkling suspicion that ‘silver’ also had a bigger meaning as well, but didn’t want to push for further information. If Waverly wanted her to know, she’d tell her about it.

Nicole walked over to the post, grabbed the picnic basket and tied it behind the saddle. Waverly stepped up on the fence and mounted her horse. The Captain was tall enough that she didn’t have to use a step stool like her date, though she did find it ridiculously cute. Placing her foot in the stirrup and a hand on the horn, Nicole pulled herself up and mounted Houdini.

The Captain looked at her date and started smiling. “You ready?”

“Most definitely.” Waverly replied and returned the smile.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 24, 2016 ~ McCready Ranch; Purgatory, Maine— 11:59 a.m. (EST)_

_Thank God Nicole’s leather jacket keeps me warm. For this type of weather at least. I wonder if she’ll want it back. Oh, I hope not. I really like it and it smells like her. I truly **truly** hope she wants to continue seeing me after today. I mean, she did ask me out a second time and is going out of her way to make, yet, another perfect date for us. God, I want to kiss her right now._ Waverly couldn’t stop her mind going a million miles per hour.

She chances a glance over to the redhead. She really does look sexy in a stetson. “So where are we heading?”

“The trails.”

“How do you know where the trails are?”

“Hmm.” Waverly watched Nicole shrug her shoulders.

The brunette shook her head and smiled. Of course, Nicole wasn’t going to answer. Why should she? Waverly didn’t really expect her to anyways. She didn’t get a lick of information when it came to this date. Hell, she even saw the Captain almost every single day since last Saturday and not once did she give any details about today’s date. Other than to wear comfortable clothes, sneakers and or boots and the redheads jacket. Which now made sense due to the fact that she’s sitting atop her horse at the moment.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 24, 2016 ~ McCready Ranch; Purgatory, Maine — 2:10 p.m. (EST)_

Enjoying their time together, talking and laughing. Both woman were laying on the blanket next to each other, staring up at the light blue sky. Watching as the clouds go by. Sure, it seemed like a childish thing to do, but Waverly and Nicole really didn’t care. Every time a new cloud went by, they told each other what they thought it looked it.

After eating lunch they had picked everything up that was on blanket and placed all back into the picnic basket. Nicole was all set to go riding again. She wanted to go through some of the other trails, but Waverly suggested relaxing for a little bit longer. The redhead definitely didn’t mind, especially when her date laid down and ask her to join her. That was also over an hour ago.

While watching the clouds, Nicole was the one who started to giggle and break the silence between them. Waverly became curious as to what made the Captain burst into laughter. Nicole pointed to the sky and said ‘I swear that cloud looks like a dick.’ The brunette couldn’t help but laugh. Out of all the things the woman next to her could say, she was literally not expecting to hear that a cloud looked like a penis.

During that hour, their hands seemingly got closer together. If someone had asked who grabbed who’s hand first, neither of them would able to answer. It was a comfortable feeling. Their hands fitting perfectly in one another’s. Nicole wanted to be bold and bring Waverly’s hand to her mouth and gently kiss the back of it, but decided against it. Waverly on the other hand, not even thinking twice about it and truly not paying attention to her actions, brought the Captain’s hand up and started peppering kisses along each of her knuckles.

The gesture was intimate and Nicole was at an awe while watching the younger woman slowly move from her knuckles to her palm. At first the kisses were a simple chaste kiss, but turned into opened mouth kisses the moment Waverly’s lips touch Nicole’s palm. Her arm was in an awkward position but that didn’t matter when hazel eyes met brown as Waverly continued to kiss her hand. The brunette hoped that it would entice the other woman to make the next move.

Fortunately for Waverly, Nicole did. Shifting to her side, sadly pulling her hand away at the same time, the redhead began to lean forward. Her other hand made its way to the side of the brunettes face, just hovering over it. Sensing the hesitation, Waverly grabbed the hand and began to leave hot open mouth kisses in the untouched palm.

“Waverly?” Nicole said breathlessly.

“Yes?” Waverly answered in a whisper, between kisses.

“Can I kiss you?” The redhead said. Both of them absentmindedly licking their lips.

The hazel eyed woman nodded. A hand fully cupping her cheek. Nicole slowly leaned in, capturing the lips below her. It was meant to be simple and semi short, but neither of them wanted it to end. Imagination or even daydreaming had nothing compared to the real thing. Their lips moved together and were perfectly synced to one another. Waverly’s hand went to the back of the Captains neck, playing with her fiery red hair. The hand that was lingering on the brunettes face moved down to her waist, slightly gripping at her side.

Nicole deepened the kiss first. Biting the younger woman’s bottom lip and soothing it over with her tongue. Waverly opened her mouth a little bit more as the older woman slipped her tongue in. Both lightly moaned when their tongues connected. Hands began to wonder as the kiss intensified. Kissing the Captain was far better than any day dream, Waverly could ever imagine. Something she hoped will continue.

The redhead broke the kiss. Finally needing some air. Even if she didn’t really want to stop. Their faces were flushed, lips were swollen and they were panting.

“Wow.” They both whispered. Faces inches apart.

“We should probably start heading back. Unless you want to ride some more?” Nicole spoke quietly.

“I guess it depends on if you have anything else planned afterwards?”

“Well, if you want, we can go back to my place and I can cook you dinner, watch some cheesy romantic movie or we can go to another restaurant? If your more comfortable with that idea instead.”

Slowly, Waverly sat up and raised her hands up to act like a scale. “A quiet evening with you, plus watching you cook.” She brought up one hand while slightly lowering the other. “Or go to a restaurant and be surrounded by other people?” She mirrored the action on the other hand. Repeating it on both sides a couple of times, the brunette smiled and cupped Nicole’s face with one hand. “I’d love to go to your place and spend more time with you.”

The Captain released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. It was kind of a bold move to invite Waverly back to her place. She didn’t expect anything to happened, other than acting like a domestic couple. _Couple? Yes. Which reminds me. I have another question I need to ask her._

“Okay. My place is it then.” Nicole grabbed her stetson, got up and helped Waverly to her feet as well.

Standing in each other’s personal space, Nicole leaned down and pressed her lips to Waverly’s once more before heading towards the horses. With the shorter woman a head of her by a couple of steps, the redhead thought of idea. She grabbed Waverly’s hand and pulled the woman into her body.

Waverly squealed and giggled. She felt arms wrap tightly around her waist, pulling her closer into Nicole’s body. She looked up and the Captain was smiling down at her with her dimples more pronounced than she’s ever seen them. The woman’s eyes were soft and she swore she saw what looked like a glint of love in them as well. All the brunette could do was give a warm and loving smile back.

“I’ve always been told that I’m kinda old fashioned. Especially for a lesbian.” Nicole chuckled. “But I also don’t like to just assume things either.”

“Nicole?” The brunette whispered. She felt one of Nicole’s hand leave the small of her back and then her face was ever so gently lifted to meet the Captain’s gaze by a finger under her chin.

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

Waverly surged forward and captured Nicole’s lips in a passionate kiss. One that left them both breathless. The taller woman pulled back and rested their foreheads together.

“Is that a yes?”

“Absolutely yes.”

Once again, lips met lips. Waverly felt her feet leave the ground. Nicole pulled her closer into her and leaned back a little. Bringing the shorter woman with her. Slowly but surely, the Captain put Waverly back on the ground. Lacing their fingers together, they walked back to the horses. The younger woman took the redheads stetson, placing it on her head and her mounted her horse first. Before Nicole could get on Houdini..

“Race you back!” With that Waverly rode off with Midnight Silver at top speed. Laughter filling the air.

“CHEATER!”

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, September 25, 2016 ~ Copper Hotel; Houston, Texas — 11:06 p.m. (CT)_

“We have to find her!”

“Boss, we’ve been searching for years.”

“Then search harder!” The man yelled.

Everyone is the room stood still. They weren’t sure how they were going to find her. His daughter had literally gone off the grid. Which seemed almost impossible but also impressive at the same time. Considering when people went off the grid like that, in their occupation, they were dead.

But she was not. They would of gotten word from somewhere. At least that’s what the Boss and his wife thought.

“What if she joined the military?” One of the men in the all black suit said.

“Then start checking the military data bases!” The Boss yelled again.

“But we can’t touch her if she is.” Another black suit man voiced.

“I don’t care if she is. I will find her and if she’s doesn’t reconsider joining us, then I will kill her!”

“But that’s breaking the pact!”

The sound of a gun cocking stilled everyone in the room. The Boss stood pointing a gun at the last man who spoke. “I **will** kill her and anyone who stands in my way will join her. Do I make myself clear or do I have to remind all of you that I am the Boss now.” He said with a growl.

The man with the gun pointed at him swallowed hard. He silently made his peace, knowing what he was about to say, would be his last. Breaking the pact was like a sin in the Bible. The Bosses father, Junior, was the one who started it. He believed military sacrificed and dealt with enough, so why cause more trouble for them.

“I made my oath under the pact in which I shall not break. I vow, on this day forth, you Nicholas Haught the Third, are not my boss.”

The sound of a gun filled the only room in the hotel that was padded. No sounds coming in or out. The man dropped to the floor with a bullet in his head. Blood was spilling every where and yet no one dared to make a move. Feared that if they did, they too would join the man dead on the floor.

Some of the other men that wore the all black suits felt the same as man that just died. But none would admit to it. This was the first time since the new boss took over that anyone dared to speak to him like that. They all knew the lengths that he would go, to find his daughter, but they didn’t think he would be willing to kill his own flesh an blood. Apparently, they were all completely wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Change the rating to Mature just because of the violence and the graphic of it. I know this chapter is barely graphic but for what I have in mind when everything goes down, it will be. As a heads up, I’ve never written anything graphic before so I’m hoping it will be good when the time comes.


	10. Ten

_Saturday, September 24, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 3:16 p.m. (EST)_

The drive to Nicole’s place was for the most part, quiet. As soon as the Captain got into the truck and started the engine, Waverly had grabbed her hand and laced there fingers together. Nicole couldn’t help smile at the gesture. At the same time she felt guilty. I’m being selfish. _She’ll never want to be with me after she finds out about my past. But I feel something for her. But I don’t want her to get hurt because me either._

“Nicole?”

“Yea?” Waverly pulled the redhead from her doubting thoughts.

“Are you okay? Your body just tensed up.” Nicole glanced over to the brunette and noticed the concern look on her face and in her eyes.

“I’m fine. Just thinking about some things.” The Captains words did nothing but worry the other woman even more.

_Thinking? About what? About us? No. That wouldn’t make her this tense._ “Wh-what’s wrong?” Waverly winced at the nervous stutter.

Nicole looked over to her girlfriend and saw that she was worrying her bottom lip. She took a deep breath and squeezed the hand that was still in hers. “It’s nothing to worry about, baby. Just some bad memories from my past that like to linger.”

Releasing the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, Waverly tried to look Nicole in the eye. It was hard though. The angle from being in the passenger seat didn’t do her any justice. “I know that we’ve only personally known each other for a week, but you know you can tell me anything, right?”

The Captain signed. “I know. It’s just something I’d rather leave in the past.” She pulled onto a dirt pathway.  
“Well, if you ever decided to talk about it. I’m here for you.. Now, where are you taking us?” The shorter woman looked in the passenger mirror and saw the main road disappear.

Nicole chuckled. “This is my ridiculously long driveway. It’s like a quarter mile long and extremely bumpy.”

“You don’t say.” Waverly sarcastically said after the truck hit one of the harder bumps on the dirt path.

Nicole pulled up and parked outside of her house. She heard Waverly gasped next to her and she couldn’t help but smile. The house was beautiful. A craftsman log cabin with a cobblestone path leading to the front door. It was something the Captain took pride in. Not the beauty of it but the history behind it and how she came about owning it.

“Nicole, this place is beautiful. If I remember correctly it used to belong to Samual and Marie Webster.” Waverly said as she got out of the truck after the redhead opened it for her. She then noticed how her girlfriends smile changed and her eyes looked towards the ground. The brunette put one of her hands are the other woman arm.

Nicole looked up and a single tear fell down her cheek. “They’re my. Were my grandparents.” She grabbed Waverly’s hand and started leading her to the house. “When they passed, I inherited it. I thought my uncle was going to get it but he passed it up and told them to give it to me.”

After the redhead unlocked the door, she opened it and let Waverly walk in first. A low whistle fell from the shorter woman’s lips as she walked further into the house. Discarding Nicole’s jacket, she handed it to the Captain who was now standing next her and hanging her jacket on the coat rack hanging next to her head.

“I stand corrected. This is place is gorgeous.. And you inherited it?” Waverly asked.

“Yea. I did.” Nicole softly laughed. “Come on. I’ll give you the grand tour and you can meet Calamity.”

“Ah. The devil cat that always chewed on the envelopes.” Both woman laughed lightly.

They started on the second floor. A couple of bedrooms and a bathroom. Walking back down the stairs, Nicole pointed out how the view in the living room was okay to look at but the kitchen was the place to be. It was also the taller woman’s favorite room as well. The kitchen looked like a professional chef had set up. Waverly herself was impressed. Though she noticed how ‘new’ the house looked.

“I thought you said your grandparents lived Maine while you were growing up?” The brunette questioned.

“Oh they did. You see, my grandparents lost their old house to an electric fire back about eleven years ago. They stayed with some friends until my summer vacation, which I happened to come up that year, and they started looking at blueprints. I actually ended up helping them design it and helped built this place.” Nicole spoke with pride.

“That is impressive.” Waverly looked at Nicole. She started to imagine the Captain wearing shorts and a tight t-shirt. A tool belt around her waist and beads of sweat rolling down her body while working in the summer heat. All of a sudden her mouth had gone dry and her girlfriend was giving her a look like she knew exactly what the brunette was thinking about. Waverly cleared her throat, face flushed and the tips of ears had gone red.

“You look like you could a drink? Water, wine, beer?” Nicole says with a smirk.

“Wine, please.” Waverly said a little to quickly. Only making Nicole’s smirk grow even wider.

Just before Nicole turned around, Waverly felt something rubbing against her leg. Causing her to jump. “Found CJ.”

“You little traitor.” The redhead was shocked when she watched the brunette pick up the cat and start scratching its chin.

“What?” Waverly asked.

“My asshole of a cat likes you better than me. She wont even let me do that.” The Captain pointed at them. “We have this understanding. I feed and water her. Lets me pat her a couple times and then she tries to kill me in my sleep by sleeping on my face. I thought we were friends CJ. Little traitor.” The shorter woman laughed into the orange tabby while giving it a kiss on the head.

Going about getting the glass of wine for her girlfriend, Nicole got herself a glass as well. She handed the half filled glass to Waverly, who put Calamity down on the floor, and gestured toward the door in kitchen that lead to the outdoors.

“Wow.” The brunette breathlessly said.

“I know. Beautiful right? My grandmother loved flowers and always visioned a stream and a small waterfall. Luckily for her, my grandad found this land that just happened to have both. After they passed a couple of years ago, the neighbors would put in new flowers every spring in there honor. I plan to do the same as well.”

“That’s really sweet.” 

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, September 24, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 11:35 p.m. (EST)_

The afternoon was filled will laughter, watching movies and even switching over to HBO. Waverly had noticed the app when Nicole was clicking on Netflix. Mentioning that she had heard about how ‘great’ Game of Thrones was and was interested to see if it lived up to it expectations. This caused the Captain to be in complete shock. That show was undeniably one of her favorites and was all to eager to start pilot episode.

Questions were flying out of the brunette, left and right as they started the second episode directly after ending the first one. By the time they had started watching the first episode it was nearing six o’clock. As much as Nicole wanted to start rewatching from the beginning, hers and Waverly’s stomach had other ideas.

Leaving the living room and giving a chaste kiss to her girlfriend, Nicole went about making dinner. It took all of the first and almost half of the second episode for dinner to be ready. The Captain decided to show off a bit of her culinary skills and made a chicken cordon bleu casserole that she topped over homemade pasta. She loved to cook and was excited to share this information with Waverly. Also scared was well, because she never cooked for someone other than herself.

The end results of the meal was everything the redhead had hoped for. Surprisingly, Waverly never noticed Nicole making the pasta because she was engrossed in Game of Thrones. So when the shorter woman took her first bite, she was practically moaning over the taste. When the Captain told her everything was homemade, Waverly didn’t know what to say, other than being astonished.

The both of them curled up on the couch together afterwards and continued watching HBO. By the fifth episode, it was nearing ten at night but neither of them were quite ready for the date to be over. Nicole and Waverly just felt so comfortable with one another that even though they had spent twelve hours with each other, it only felt like a couple. So they decided to watch another episode. The brunette wouldn’t admit it, but she easily became addicted to the show.

Hour and half later, Nicole was opening her eyes. At some point, Waverly must of shut off the lights, minus the one in kitchen, because the last thing the redhead remembered was the room still being light up. Now, shifting some, she felt the weight of someone else on her. The Captain looked down to see light brown hair draped over her girlfriend face. An arm tightly wrapped around her waist and an leg atop one of her own. Waverly’s head was resting on her chest. Nicole couldn’t help the smile that formed on her face but immediately became a frown once she saw what time it was.

Sweeping the brunette hair behind Waverly’s ear, the taller woman kissed the top of her head. Dreading the fact that she had to wake up her sleeping girlfriend and bring her home. _I really don’t want to. But it’s to soon to offer her to stay over. To much pressure and this will be at her pace._ She tighten her arms that were wrapped around Waverly. Hoping she was a light sleeper. But that was not case. It only made the shorter woman snuggle into Nicole even more. The brunette moved her head from the redheads chest into her neck. _She’s only making this harder for me._

“Waves. Baby.” The Captain whispered. Rubbing her hands up and down the brunettes back.

A faint mumbled ‘huh’ came from the sleeping woman.

Nicole laughed lightly. “Baby, I need to bring you.. back to your place.” A yawn fell from the redheads lips mid sentence.

“Mkay..Stay.” Is all Waverly could managed before falling into deeper slumber.

Hearing word ‘stay’, gave Nicole a warm and fuzzy feeling. Something she hadn’t felt in a long time. A feeling she welcome probably to eagerly. The Captain weighed her options. _Try to bring a very sleepy girlfriend to my truck and somehow get her in or just bring her to my bed and sleep in one of the spare bedrooms._ She thought about her choices and decided it would probably be ten times easier to just bring Waverly upstairs.

Somehow the Captain miraculously removed herself from the brunettes tight embrace. Thankfully, her girlfriend stayed asleep. _Boy, she is a deep sleeper._ Nicole picked her up bridal style and made her way to her bedroom. Once there, she gently placed her down on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Going over to the dresser and grabbing two pairs shirts and sleep shorts, she placed one set on the bed, in case Waverly woke up and decided to change.

She went about getting changed in the connecting bathroom to her bedroom. Nicole came out, walked over to Waverly and kneeled down beside the bed. Brushing the brunettes hair behind he ear, the Captain placed a chaste kiss to her girlfriends forehead. Just as she was getting up, a fainted but groggy voice grabbed her attention.

“Cole?”

Nicole kneeled back down. “Baby, why don’t you get changed. There’s clothes here on the bed for you and go back to sleep. I’ll be in the next room over.”

“Please stay.” Waverly turned her head so she staring at Nicole.

“Are you sure? I’m fine with staying in another room.”

“I like being in your arms.” The shorter woman sheepishly said.

“Then I’ll stay. But you should probably change in something more comfortable. Here.” Nicole moved and grabbed the clothes from the end of the bed.

The brunette gave Nicole a lazy smile and grabbed the clothes. Giving the Captain a kiss on the lips as a thank you, Waverly made her way over to the bathroom. After coming out, she saw that Nicole had gotten into bed and was already half asleep. Sliding in next to the other woman, she curled up into her. Replicating the same position they were in on the couch. Once comfortable, she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Waverly smiled and leaned her head back to kiss Nicole on cheek, who was now sleeping soundly. She placed her head back down on the redheads chest and fell back to sleep herself. 

**____________________**

 

_Wednesday, September 28, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 5:39 p.m. (EST)_

Happy hour at Shorty’s was always busy. The entire saloon was always filled with the normal regulars. Sometimes there would be a couple of new comers but usually they were just passing by. Today, on one of the more rare occasions, Wynonna decided to show up. She wasn’t a big fan of happy hour. Due to the fact that not many people liked her. She was the town pariah after all.

One of the reasons for the middle Earp showing up was to talk to her little sister about her relationship with a certain redheaded Captain. Wynonna had come to the bar Sunday morning, just after Shorty’s had open, to spend time with Waverly. Knowing her sister would be working the late shift that night. She found out from Curtis, that the little Earp had never came home and had spent the night at Nicole’s.

She wanted to be happy for her sister, but deep down it was bothering Wynonna to no ends. The darker brunette just couldn’t see past the uniform and badge and had already written the Captain off as ‘bad’ for Waverly. It was wrong. She knew nothing about this redhead, but neither did her baby sister or at least that what she thought. Waverly still hadn’t told her anything when it came to Nicole. Something she hoped to rectify very soon.

Entering Shorty’s, the middle Earp scans the crowded room. Sometimes the youngest sister would be out on the floor checking tables or delivering food orders, but at the very moment, Wynonna found her sister behind the bar. Serving beer to one of the patrons. Making her way over, noticing that there was one seat open, she went over to steal it. Before even getting to the bar stool, Wynonna noticed that it was covered with a dark digital camouflage blouse. She recognized it. Knowing it belong to someone in the military. Unfortunately, the darker brunette just didn’t know who it belong to.

Moments later, a redhead had appeared from the bathroom. Watching as the older woman walked up behind her sister, who coincidentally was walking back to be behind bar. The redhead had wrapped her arms around Waverly and kissed her cheek. A small giggle came from the brunette and was back to serving beer to the next patron in a matter of seconds. Wynonna made a gaging sound at the sight. _Since when do they act like a couple? Gus and Curtis haven’t mention this new information to me. Hopefully she will._

Nicole walked over to the empty bar stool that had the uniform jacket sitting on it. Wynonna watched as the Captain grabbed it and put it on. Words were said between Waverly and the redhead. She continued to watch as her sister leaned over the bar and kissed Nicole on the lips. A kiss that the older woman smiled into. Making Wynonna gage again. _God, they are gross._

Nicole said something else to Waverly before leaving Shorty’s. At this point, Wynonna had already moved from the door and now took the opportunity to go talk to her sister. Try to figure out what the hell all that was about.

“Hey Babygirl.”

“Hi, ‘Nonna. You want something?”

“Whisky, neat.”

“Sure.” Waverly poured her older sisters drink and placed it down in front of her. “What are you doing here anyways? You hate happy hour.”

“Thought I would come and see my little sister. Since you’ve been busy since Saturday.”

“Yea well, as you know I had date with Nicole on Saturday and I’ve been busy doing school work along with working since then.” Waverly said as if it was obvious.

“Curtis told me you never came home Saturday and stayed at her placed. You want to tell me what that is all about?” Wynonna questioned.

“It got late and we fell asleep.” The brunette said simply.

“You hardly know her, Waves.” The middle Earp pushed.

“Wynonna, I’m twenty one and if I want to spend the night with my girlfriend. I most certainly can.” Waverly managed to say calmly while serving more people. “I love that your trying to be protective, but if this was anyone else, you wouldn’t be acting like this. Am I wrong?”

Wynonna stared at her sister. She didn’t really know what to think. What surprised her the most out of everything that Waverly had just said, was girlfriend. Thinking back to the last time the word girlfriend came from the littlest Earp was back when she was twenty. Wynonna was twenty six and traveling through Europe. She had gotten an email from the younger woman about a new relationship. One that also didn’t last that long. It maybe lasted six months if the middle Earp thought about it.

“You’re right.” Wynonna admitted. “I wont promise anything but I’ll give her a chance.”

“That’s all I ask for.” 

**____________________**

 

_Tuesday, October 4, 2016 ~ Haught Residence; Houston, Texas — 8:15 p.m. (CT)_

Dinner with the Haught’s was always the highlight of any of the employees day. It meant that they were close to the Boss. Some of the men haven’t had the opportunity or pleasure of being invited to the home. Those who were, meant that they were respected. The Boss trusted them more, if they were invited over more than once.

The Boss’s wife, Shannon, who he met in college, wasn’t particularly pleased with having her husbands ‘employees’ over at the house. She was fine with the business. Didn’t like it to much, but dealt with it anyways. Shannon loved her husband and when he told her about the family ‘business’, she was okay with it back then. Her attitude towards it started to change eight years ago. When her daughter decided to leave in the middle of the night.

The disappearing act wasn’t much of a surprise to her. Shannon knew how her daughter didn’t want a part of any of it. But her husband and father in law didn’t give her only child much of a choice in the matter. She was to take over, no matter what.

Eight years after Nicole left, the only thing that mattered now, was finding her. The details of finding her got worse over time. It put Nicholas Junior and his son on edge everyday that they couldn’t find her. Every state was being search and when the Boss’s employees came up empty, something or someone got shot. Usually it was Shannon’s husband that would take out the gun and start shooting. Not caring what was in front of him. Junior would just go to the gun range and take out his frustrations there.

Today though, it had seem like there was change in the air. Nicholas had decided to do another search. It hadn’t been done in two years but something about this time felt different. Maybe it was because Shannon’s husband was finally Boss and he was determined to find his daughter. No matter what the costs were. The odds of Nicole Haught surviving this, was unfortunately slim and that’s what scared her most. Losing her daughter to a man who was suppose to love her, but now despised her. All because she didn’t want to be apart of the game.

In the living room, Nicholas, Shannon, Robert, Willa and another man who goes by, Levi, all sat, discussing how to go about the new details.

“Levi, have you figured out how to get a hold of a Department of Defense identification cards?” Nicholas asked

“I’m still working on it, Boss. It’s a lot harder to get fake military ID’s than it is to get regulars ones.” Levi responded nervously.

“Then find someone who works in the system. We needs those ID’s to get on those bases. If she joined the service, she could be working in any of those.” The Boss calmly said.

“What if she’s overseas?” Willa piped up.

“Then we’ll look there too.” Nicholas snapped. “Now.” He said a little more calmly. “Bobo, you and Willa will be searching all of Maine. Every town, every city, will be searched from top to bottom. I don’t want you back here until its done.”

“Yes sir. If we find her, do you want us to report back here first?” Robert asked.

“Yes. She doesn’t know either of you and to make sure she doesn’t, you will have to leave the suits behind. Those will be what she looks for first. She may be smart, but I will not be out smarted by a traitor.” 

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, October 15, 2016 ~ The Homestead; Purgatory, Maine — 12:12 p.m. (EST)_

The homestead was almost completely cleaned. There was a growing pile of trash sitting outside that needed to brought to the dump. Waverly’s Jeep was to small and Curtis’s truck was always being used. Wynonna wasn’t really sure how to go about it. She didn’t like asking for help, outside of family, but now she was running out of options. Even Shorty wasn’t able to help due to owning a car.

Ever since Waverly had started dating the Captain, she had mentioned being able to borrow her truck. Again, Wynonna didn’t want to ask. Even if her sister did keep telling her that her girlfriend didn’t mind helping. It would give Nicole a chance to spend time with the brunette and give her the opportunity to get to know the middle Earp sister.

Surprisingly both Earps sisters got an early start. Extremely early start. Which is a first for both of them. Waverly had worked the night shift and Wynonna didn’t pass out until after one in the morning. Yet, the both of them were at the homestead by nine.

Noon time approached rather quickly and the darker brunettes stomach started to make a gurgling noise that practically echoed through the almost empty, ranch style home. The little Earp was suppose to bring lunch with her, but she had some ideas up her sleeve that she didn’t tell her older sister about. She hoped that her plan was going to be put into action fairly soon.

“Wave, how about we stop and relax for a bit.” Wynonna came down the stairs with her little sister following behind her. “And also have lunch. I’m starved.”

“Uh yea. Sure. I’ll go get it from the Jeep.” Waverly nervously said. Hoping that Wynonna didn’t pick up on it.

“Okay.” Just as the middle Earp walked over to the window, she noticed a pick up pulling into homestead. “Babygirl, do you know anyone who owns a blue Dodge truck?”

“Yea. That would be our extra help with lunch in tow.” Waverly says sheepishly.

“Extra help?” Wynonna looked out the window again to see a tall redhead getting out. “You asked Haught to come here?”

“We needed a truck.” The youngest Earp told her sister. “Plus, Nicole doesn’t work on weekends. Well, not usually.”

Before Wynonna could say could say anything else, Waverly was out the door and walking towards the redhead. Giving her a hug and a quick kiss to the lips before going over to the passenger side to grab a box. Nicole had grabbed a bag from the back seat and from what the middle Earp could make out, it was some type of drink or drinks in this case. Both woman made there way back into the house and Wynonna couldn’t help the gage that crept up on her from the love struck look that the two of them were giving each other.

“Nicole bought us pizza, ‘Nonna.”

“And a bottle of jack.” Nicole held up one of bottles in her hands.

“What kind of pizza?”

“Waverly told me you’re not picky and have no preferences. As long as there is no mushrooms and anchovies. She also mentioned that you like meat lovers so that’s what I picked up.” Nicole rambled. Waverly couldn’t help but chuckled at her nervous girlfriend, who is normally so well kept together. “Oh and baby, I got you that Caesar salad with chicken you asked for and the French dressing as well.”

“Blech. You two are already gross. But I’ll kindly take the pizza off your hands babygirl.” Wynonna walked over to her sister and grabbed the box from her hands. “Thanks Red.”

“No problem. I’ll get started on putting that trash in the back of my truck.”

“Red, I’ll tell you right now. If you want any of this, you’ll do that afterwards.” Wynonna yell from the kitchen. Already sitting in one of the chairs with her feet propped up on the table with a slice of pizza in hand.

“She’s not joking. ‘Nonna will eat that entire pizza by herself.” Waverly laughed lightly.

“Pull up a chair Haughtstuff.”

As much as Nicole hated puns, she would gladly take them from the middle Earp sister. Especially if it meant it was one step closer to being on Wynonna’s good side. Which she hoped was the case.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So chapter thirteen is being a pain in my ass. Literally took two days to write chapter. Twelve and not now I’m in a bit rut. Hopefully that will end very soon. Attempting to write today. So fingers cross!


	11. Eleven

_Tuesday, October 25, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 4:31 p.m. (EST)_

Nicole was pulling up to her house when she noticed a familiar red Jeep. The Captain smiled at the thought of seeing her girlfriend. They weren’t suppose to meet today. On Tuesday’s, Waverly was always at the college. Bringing in and getting her new assignments. Occasionally, she would have a class or two. Like today. The brunette wasn’t suppose to be back in Purgatory until later that evening.

Getting out of the truck and walking up to her front steps, what she hoped was her fiery spitball of a girlfriend, ended up being her older sister. All of sudden, Nicole was nervous. The only times she ever saw Wynonna, was when she was with Waverly. It wasn’t like middle Earp scared her. That would be ridiculous.. Okay, so maybe Waverly’s older sister did terrify her.

The Captain never really had to deal with protective older siblings. She only dated a few girls and somehow by some miracle chance, only one of her ex’s had an older brother. Luckily for Nicole, he was much older and was never really around. Which is why she never dealt with it before. Now she was dealing with an overly protective sister who liked to carry a .45 Colt Buntline Special with her. Everywhere! _I’m a Marine. That little gun shouldn’t scare me. No! But the woman behind it does. She’s just looking out for her baby sister. Understandable. But does she have to carry a gun though?_

“Wynonna?”

“Wasn’t the Earp you were expecting there, Red?” The darker brunette asked.

“Actually I wasn’t expecting Waves to be here at all. I know that she’s in the city until tonight. Which makes me wonder why you have her Jeep?” Nicole pointed back towards the vehicle behind her.

“Waverly said you know how to work on vehicles?”

“Yea. But that doesn’t explain why you’re here with the Jeep though.” Nicole countered.

“The Jeep needs new brakes and rotors. The squealing is driving Waves nuts and I let her borrow my car. The parts came in yesterday and she told me to bring it to you instead of a mechanic.”

“Gotcha. Well, let me get changed and then you and I can fix it.” Nicole started walking up to the house.

“You want me to help you? I literally know nothing about vehicles.”

Nicole chuckled. Remembering how she felt back it college when she first started learning maintenance. “Yes, Earp. You’re gonna help. Be a good learning experience.” She echoed the sentence that was once said to her to get her to actually learn something.

Wynonna was hesitant at the idea. She wasn’t a grease monkey by any means. The only thing she knew how to do was hot wire a car. Though that wasn’t information she was going to admit any time soon to the Captain. Not after finding out she wanted to join the police force once she was done serving.

“Fine. But don’t expect me to do much.” The darker brunette got up from the steps and walked into the house behind Nicole.

“Wouldn’t expect any less.. Got some beers in the fridge. Make yourself at home.” The redhead said while walking up the stairs. “Hey, we should order take out?” She yelled from the stairs.

“Like the way you think, Haughtshot.” Wynonna answered back.

**____________________**

 

_Tuesday, October 25, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 7:48 p.m. (EST)_

Nicole and Wynonna worked for about thirty minutes fighting with Jeep’s back tires. Sadly, that thirty minutes resulted in an hour, due to the lug nuts on both tires being tightly screwed on and who knows how many months since they’d been taken off. The vehicle was suspended in the back on both sides. Luckily the redheads late grandfather had two jack stands in the garage. Originally, the both of them wanted to work on the Jeep outside but due to the sun setting earlier in the evening and the weather getting colder at night, they had to work on it in the garage. Nicole internally patted herself on the back for remembering when she told Grandpa Samual to build a two car garage instead of the one port he originally had planned for.

The Captain did most of the hard labor but was able to show and verbally tell Wynonna how to take everything apart and put it back together. The middle Earp was actually impressed by how much detail Nicole gave her. A step by step walk through wasn’t what she was expecting when she was roped into helping. But was glad none the less. She also wasn’t expecting the taller woman to order Chinese. Which was a nicely added bonus to her afternoon.

The darker brunette was starting to like Nicole. She could see how much the redhead cared for her little sister. Even after being together for only a few weeks. A month as of yesterday, if you asked Waverly. Wynonna would notice how the Captain would act at Shorty’s while the little Earp was working. She respected the fact that she was dating a bartender and knew that sometimes drunk patrons liked to get handsy. The first time Nicole had saw it happen, she and the redhead were playing a game of pool. Something they had picked up doing regularly while hanging around the bar.

Wynonna had caught Nicole staring was her baby sister. When she noticed that her body had tensed and eyes became darker, she turned around to see a very drunk male customer grab Waverly’s ass as she walked by him. Turning back to the Captain who had already started walking towards them, she was thankfully able to stop her. Letting her see that the younger woman knew how take care of the situation. Watching as the mans arm was twisted behind his back and crying out in pain. The older woman saw the redhead relax instantly and went back to playing pool.

Getting to know Nicole was something that she told Waverly that she would do. She hated the idea, but slowly came around after practically seeing the woman almost everyday since the two got together. Wynonna liked that the Captain was easy to talk to and wasn’t offended by the constant puns. It was always easy banter between the two. Whatever the middle Earp dished out, Nicole gave it right back. The interesting part about everything was the fact that she felt like the two of could be friends. Which was not in the Earps plans at all, but was seemingly coming around to the idea.

Once both tires were put back on and the Jeep was lowered back down on the cement, Wynonna’s phone started going off. Noticing who it was from she put her phone on speaker. “Hey babygirl. What’s up?”

_“Hi ‘Nonna. Just letting you know I’m on my way back. Should be back in town within forty five minutes or so.”_

“Okay sis. Long day? You sound tired. Also say hi.” Wynonna looked over at Nicole who was wiping her hands on one of the grease rags.

_“Say hi to who?”_ Waverly was skeptical.

“Hey cutie!” Nicole yelled from where she was standing.

_“Nicole? Why are you with Wynonna?”_

Before Nicole could say anything else, the darker brunette was faster to respond. “Okay one, you make it sound like she doesn’t like being around me. Which would be rude. I’m lots of fun and two, she’s not with me. I’m with her. We’re at her house and we just got done fixing your Jeep.”

The words ‘we’ were not lost in the middle Earps rant. Waverly decided to question it. _“What do you mean we?”_

“She helped me work on it!” Nicole said. Finally standing back next to Wynonna. Who was surprisingly giving a tiny smile of appreciation.

_“Seriously?”_

“Yes, jackass. Seriously. I can help do stuff.” Waverly could hear the pout from her sister causing her to lightly laugh through the phone.

“Wynonna here was really useful. Those lug nuts were pain getting off so we use bacon donut here to bounce on the lug wrench to loosen them.” Nicole said casually. Not missing the glare the older woman gave her.

“That’s Miss Bacon Donut to you, Captain Haughtpants.”

The little Earps heart swelled. She loved that her sister and girlfriend were getting along. How Nicole got Wynonna to help her would be something that she would want to find out, but right now she didn’t really care. All that mattered was that her older sister kept her promise. _If only Willa was this accepting of me._

“Waves, why don’t you drive here to Red Haught’s and we’ll switch vehicles.”

**____________________**

 

_Thursday, November 10, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 8:50 p.m. (EST) & Copper Hotel; Houston, Texas — 7:50 p.m. (CT)_

Waverly was going about her usual rounds while her girlfriend and sister played a game a darts. The both of them really sucked at it but to them it was still fun to play. Even if they did miss the dart board more times than not. The wall that held the board was covered in pin holes. Most of them being recent due to the duo. Nicole offered to put up a giant cork board just so they weren’t destroying the wall more than it already was. Gus even considered the idea but had to talk to Curtis and Shorty about it first.

Just as the middle Earp sister was lining up her next throw, her phone starting going off. Without checking to see who was calling her, she reached for her phone and answered it. “Hello?” Wynonna threw the dart in her hand.

“You should not be multitasking, Earp. You’re terrible at it.” Nicole laughed.

“Shut up.” Wynonna singsonged.

_“I hope you’re not talking me there, sis.”_

“Willa?” Wynonna stood up straighter and starting scanning the room for her baby sister. Hoping she wasn’t within ear shot. She knew Waverly still wasn’t keen on the idea of the eldest Earp coming home to visit.

_“Who else would call you, Wynonna?”_ Willa said.

“Hey, I talk to people.. Now what do you want?”

_“Now that’s no way to speak to your older sister now is it?”_ Willa replied in a monotone.

Nicole watched the older Earp continuously look around Shorty’s. She had no idea what or who she was looking for. The change in Wynonna’s demeanor had her worried. Who ever was on the other end of the phone call, was making the Earp nervous. She wasn’t sure how to go about the situation, so she sat down at the nearest table and patiently waited.

“Sorry. I take it you have a reason for calling me?” Wynonna almost sounded defeated.

_“Robert and I will be visiting from December twenty-eighth to January fourth. Weather permitting of course. Will the homestead be ready by then?”_

“Yea its all set. So I’ll see you at the end of December.” At that Wynonna hung up.

“See who at the end of December?”

Without even realizing it, Wynonna had missed Waverly walking up behind her. She had a couple of drinks in her hands that was for the table next to the darker brunette. The middle Earp knew that there was no way of getting around this. It was either lie to her sister and have her upset with her again or tell her the truth and still end up with an upset sister. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation. One that she really didn’t want to be a part of.

Wynonna glanced over at Nicole, practically pleading for help. The redhead had no clue as to what was going on but by the face the older woman was giving her, she knew it was going to upset her girlfriend. Before she could even get up and stand next to Waverly, Wynonna answered her sister’s question.

“Willa.”

With that, Waverly set down the drinks she was holding and walked back to the bar. She called back to Gus, telling her she was going on break and headed straight out of Shorty’s without even looking back.

+++++

Willa walked over to the couch and sat down in Robert’s lap. The both of them were having a meeting with the Boss. Today was the day that they were officially finding out when they were leaving for Maine. All of the other employees got there orders at different times. A couple were to stay in Texas to make sure the regular ‘business’ went about while all the others spread throughout the states.

Now that the idea of the Boss’s daughter possibly joining the service came about, something that should of been explored years ago, made Nicholas Haught want to do another search. There was now more territory to cover and more data bases to break into. He was never going to give up the search. Not when the stakes were so high.

“How did your phone call go with your sister?” Robert ask.

“As per usually. She knows when were coming up and nothing else.”

“Keep that way. The less information she knows, the better.”

“Of course.”

Originally, the plan was for Willa to visit her sister. Now it was more like a hunting trip. The truth behind the new reason for said trip, never entered the oldest Earp’s mind. Yes, she missed Wynonna. But the thought of her boyfriend taking over the business was an exhilarating feeling. She would help him in any way possible to make it happen.

She didn’t care about the consequences. She was a bad as her boyfriend. She craved it. Needed it. Ever since joining the game, she couldn’t get enough of it. There was a sense of power behind it. Feeling in control was something she missed. Something she hadn’t felt in quite a while. Not since she was in Purgatory and had the upper hand on her youngest sister.

Being able to control her baby sister was a feeling she loved. Punishing her when Waverly did something wrong. Even the smallest of things, Willa would make the little Earp do the most extreme stunts. It didn’t matter if it could of killed her. Ever since Waverly was brought home from the hospital, she never believed that she was an Earp. Their own father felt same way. So why should she treat like family if she wasn’t? Their father certainly didn’t. So she wasn’t going to either.

**____________________**

 

_Thursday, November 10, 2016 ~ Main Street; Purgatory, Maine — 8:54 p.m. (EST)_

Breath. In. Out. Breath in. Breath out. Waverly was walking so fast that it almost felt like she was running. There was no where to run to though. It was dark and it wasn’t like she wearing anything bright. Hell, she wasn’t even wearing a jacket. For how upset and pissed off she was, the anger fueled her blood. If anything, by now she would be sweating if she had worn one.

It was only a matter of time before finding out the when the eldest Earp was to return back to Purgatory. Thinking about it, only boiled the little Earps blood more. Waverly could feel the tears brimming at the corner of her eyes. Fighting to hold them back. Blinking only made it worse. The feeling of water rolling down her cheeks continued to fuel her. She didn’t want to cry. Not over the oldest Earp. It made her feel weak. Made her feel like she had lost again. It was a feeling the brunette never wanted to feel again. But here she was giving in to it.

“Waverly!”

A soft and familiar voice yelled from behind her. She had a choice. Keep walking or stop and give in. The little voice in her head told her to keep going. _Don’t let any one see you like this. You are not weak. Keep going._

“Baby wait!” At that, Waverly stopped. The term of endearment always got to her. Made her feel special. Important. Which is what the shorter woman needed right now.

Nicole caught up to her girlfriend. When she saw her leave in a flash after hearing a certain name, she knew she needed to go and comfort her. Wynonna originally told her not to. Let her have some space and cool off. Knowing that her baby sister would be pissed and liked being alone when she was. That didn’t settle with the Captain though. Seeing her upset set off the protective side of her.

The redhead didn’t let the middle Earp get another word in before running out the door herself. Quickly running over to her truck and grabbing the spare sweatshirt and then took off in the direction of her girlfriend. It took a a couple of minutes to reach her. Surprisingly, Waverly had gotten pretty far. After yelling to her and watching her stop, she was only a few hundred yards away, but saw someone walk up to her. From the distance, she couldn’t quite make out as to who it was. But by the height and built of this person, she knew it was a man.

“Hey babe.” The words were said in a drunken slur.

“I’ve told you not to call me that, Champ.” Waverly said whilst wiping away a tear.

“Why can’t you just give me chance, Waves.” Champ said. Taking a step closer to the shorter woman in which she took a step back.

“Your still not my type. Now please just leave me alone. I’m not in the mood.”

“But babe..” Champ started.

“Waverly.” Nicole walked up to her girlfriend. Subconsciously putting her a hand at the small of the brunettes back. “You okay?”

Champ scoffed. He still couldn’t believe that Waverly Earp didn’t want to be with him. To him, he believed every woman wanted to be him. But every time he tried to score the youngest Earp, he was always shut down. Now he had some redhead getting in his way. Which only pissed him off even more.

“I’m fine. Champ was just leaving.” Again, Champ scoffed but didn’t push the matter. He left the two woman behind and went to Shorty’s. Trying to think of ways to get rid of his latest obstacle so he could finally have Waverly all to himself.

After Champ left, Waverly began to walk again. Much to the redheads liking. She still didn’t know who this Willa was and why the name made her girlfriend so upset. But she was going to find out one way or another.

“Baby?” Nicole softly spoke. Reaching out and gently grabbing Waverly by the wrist before she could really put any more distance between them.

The moment the brunette felt Nicole’s touch, more tears fell. There was no stopping it. The memories of the past came flooding through her. Hitting her like ton of brinks. Instead of saying anything or trying to pull away, Waverly turned around and threw herself into Nicole. Wrapping her arms tightly around her girlfriends waist.

The Captain stumbled back a step by the force of the shorter woman. After a second of being in shock, she brought her arms around Waverly’s shoulders and pulled her closer into the embrace. “I’ve got you, baby.” She whispered into the shorter woman’s hair.

The tears that she fought so hard to keep at bay, was completely useless now. The brunette was now full force in crying and sobbed in her girlfriends arms. Her face was buried in Nicole’s chest and after hearing soft words come from above, she tired like hell for the embrace to become even tighter. Usually when she like this, when she was at her weakest, Waverly didn’t like to be touched. But it also depended on the situation. This particular situation being one them. She didn’t like being touched when she was on the outburst of wanting to break things. The last time she felt like this, she was able to go to park and run it out. Which was usually how she dealt with her frustrations. It was easier than breaking her hand after hitting an object that wasn’t meant to be punched.

At this very moment though, she couldn’t think of better place to be than in her Captain’s arms. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Nicole felt her girlfriend starting to tremble. She pulled back and heard a whimper come from Waverly. The sudden lost of contact was not what the brunette had in mind.

“Baby, put this on.” Nicole said gently and handed the sweatshirt to the shorter woman.

“O.. okay.” The cold was finally starting to hit Waverly, causing her to stutter.

“Do you want to go back to Shorty’s?” The Captain pointed back behind her.

“Nn.. no.” Waverly shook her head. She wanted to be anywhere but be back at work.

“Okay.” Nicole slightly nodded. “What do you want to do?” She asked. She fought back to ask if Waverly wanted to be alone. The idea didn’t settle well with her. It made her stomach turn at the thought of her girlfriend upset and alone. But if it was what she wanted than the Captain would give her space.

“Can we go to your place?”

“Of course. Come on, my truck is park in front of Shorty’s.”

The both of them walked back towards the saloon. Nicole put her arm around Waverly’s waist. Noticing how the other woman instantly leaned in to her. It took a bit longer to walk back. The redhead let the shorter woman set the pace. Which ended up being a bit slower. She didn’t care though. If it meant being her girlfriends shoulder to cry or lean on, than that’s what she was going to be.

Arriving at the Captains truck, Nicole unlocked it and opened the passenger door. Mentally thanking herself for keeping her keys inside her BDU’s pant pockets. Once helping Waverly get into her pickup, she closed the door and quickly ran around to jump in. Making quick work, she turn the engine on and blasted the heat. She found out after the second time her girlfriend stayed the night, that during the colder nights, she slept with four blankets. That morning she found out she was ‘the best bonus blanket’.

“I’m gonna run in and let Gus know that your not feeling well.” Nicole looked over at Waverly who’s only response was a nod.

**____________________**

 

_Thursday, November 10, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 9:18 p.m. (EST)_

The saloon had gotten busier and with one less employee working the bar, it was hard to keep up. Wynonna had step in for her sister. Knowing that the odds of her returning was very unlikely. Their aunt had watched the brunette storm out through the doors and glared at the middle Earp. Then she caught sight of Nicole quickly running after her. What ever had happened, the salt and peppered hair woman wanted answers.

“Wynonna, what in gods creations caused your sister to bolt out of here like a bat out of hell with Nicole following after her just as fast?”

If looks could kill, Wynonna certainly would be dead. Also be buried in a hole that she would of had to dig herself as well. The middle Earp at least gave Gus a small nervous and sheepish grin. She would of shrugged her shoulders but getting slapped up side the head as the end results, the darker brunette thought better of it. Lying to her aunt was probably one of the worst things she could do. If she had to choose between pissing off her baby sister or lying to Gus. She’d pack up and skip town again because between the two, there would be no good outcome for her.

“Willa called me and Waverly heard me repeat when she was coming back.”

Gus nodded in understanding. “Which is when actually?”

“End of December into the first part of January.”

“Good to know. Now, you standing in for your sister for the rest of the evening?”

“Unless she decides to grace us with her presences again.”

“About that.” Nicole was now standing beside the bar. She looked between the two older women. Both sporting the same guilty look. “Waverly isn’t feeling well and will be staying at my place tonight.”

“Thanks for letting me know, Nicole. Also tell her she has the rest of the weekend off. Lord knows that girl is gonna need the next few days to recuperate.”

“I’ll tell her. Thank you, Gus.”

Nicole walked away without saying a word to Wynonna. Not because she didn’t want to, it was because the darker brunette was busy serving drinks. She walked over to the stairs and thought about what Gus had said. The redhead didn’t want assume that her girlfriend would want to spend the whole weekend with her. Waverly would occasionally spend a night at her place when it got to late or was to tired to drive back. The both of them decided to take things slow, knowing it had been awhile since they were in committed relationships. If the brunette did decide to stay with her, it would be the first time they would be spending more than one night together in a row.

**[Nicole]** : Gus is giving you the weekend off. (9:20 p.m.)

Instead of getting a text back, Waverly was now standing in front of her. “Would you be okay if I stayed with you this weekend? I’d rather not be here.”

“I don’t mind at all, baby.” The smaller woman grabbed Nicole’s hand and dragged her up the stairs with her.

Five minutes after going up to Waverly’s apartment, both women came back down the stairs. Nicole carried her girlfriends duffle bag, much to the other woman’s protests. She was fully capable of doing it herself, but after turning her back for literally two seconds to grab a spare coat, the duffle was slung over the redheads shoulder.

Nicole and Waverly left Shorty’s with two different mind sets. The Captain’s was set on comforting the brunette and help her with what ever it was that she needed. Waverly on the other hand, looked at it as a opportunity to finally be intimate with her girlfriend. Along with telling her the dark side of her past. Something she was both looking forward to and dreading at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I brought in Champ. Not much of a pain in the ass right now, but it wont be the last time we see him either.


	12. Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly opens up about her past.

_Friday, November 11, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 4:28 p.m. (EST)_

Almost twenty four hours had passed since everything happened. The drive back last night was quiet. Painfully quiet. Waverly was curled up in the passenger seat trying her hardest to cry silently. But she knew Nicole could hear her. The occasional squeeze on her thigh from her girlfriend reminded her that she wasn’t alone. The hazel eyed woman had someone in her corner and it meant everything to her as well.

Knowing her girlfriend was crying and wasn’t able to properly comfort her for half an hour, made Nicole’s heart ache. This was the first time she ever saw Waverly so vulnerable. The brunette was short to begin with, but with her knees being clenched to her chest by her arms and her whole body leaning against the door, Waverly looked even smaller. That certainly didn’t feel right with the Captain.

The evening was a blur. Nicole had carried the shorter woman inside. Waverly’s legs had fallen asleep so walking wasn’t a good idea. The redhead didn’t mind though. It did make it a little harder to unlock the door and open it, but she managed. The main priority was taking care of her girlfriend and comforting her.

Barely any words were spoken before they were both in bed. Waverly clung onto Nicole like her life depended on it. Her thoughts were like a broken recorded player. Replaying all the bad memories of everything Willa ever did or said to her. It only made the crying worse. But in that moment, with her Captains arms wrapped around her and whispering things like, ‘ _I’ve got you_ ’ and ‘ _everything is going to be okay_ ’, it made her feel safe. For the first time in her life, she finally felt safe. Last night, the brunette fell asleep crying in her girlfriends arms.

Walking into the house, the Captain went to search for Waverly. She hated leaving her early this morning. If calling in sick was an option in the military, Nicole would of done it. Sadly, that wasn’t the case though. The only good part about getting out of bed was that the shorter woman stayed asleep. The redhead was able to get ready for work and leave a note on the nightstand, beside the sleeping woman.

Waverly was surprisingly upstairs. The taller woman thought that she would be in the living room watching some type of trashy romcom tv show or movie. Though the brunette did mention she as going to try and work that novel that she once mentioned. The same one that continued to kick her ass. After getting to the top of the stairs, Nicole could hear a faint tapping sound coming from her office.

As she walked up to the door, to which it was wide open, Nicole leaned against the frame and took in the scene in front of her. Waverly was sitting at the desk whilst busy typing away on her laptop. Calamity Jane was sleeping soundly on the shorter woman’s lap. The Captain watched for a couple of minutes. The sight before her made her heart swell. It was definitely something she could get use to but didn’t want to keep her hopes up. The voice in the back of mind kept telling her to say something. Soon. I’ll tell her soon and hopefully I’ll still have a girlfriend at the end of it. But right now, Waverly comes first.

The redhead knocked just inside the room to alert her girlfriend. In hopes of not startlingly her. She watched Waverly turn towards her in the swivel chair, a wide smile immediately gracing her face. “Hi.” The brunette said. Picking up the ginger cat and lightly putting her on the floor before getting up to greet her Captain.

“Hi, yourself.” Nicole welcomed the other woman in hug and gave her a chaste kissed to the lips. “How you feeling?” She breathed out. Trying to hide the concern in her voice.

“Better now that you’re here.” Waverly mumbled into Nicole’s chest. She pulled back and continued. “Don’t get me wrong, CJ is great company, but is a terrible conversationalist.” She giggled.

“Yea, she does lack that certain quality. You still working on your story or decide to do something else since we last spoke a couple hours ago?”

“Had an epiphany and been typing away ever since. Now that your home though, I’d much rather spend time with you. Also..” Waverly took a deep breath. “I’m ready to tell you what happened last night and why that persons name made me so upset.”

“I’m happy you had an epiphany and baby..” Nicole took a step back and cupped both of Waverly’s cheeks. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want me to know. But do know, if you want to, I’m here for you.” The redhead leaned forward and kissed her girlfriends forehead.

“Thank you Nicole. Now, go shower and I’ll start dinner while your in there.”

“Why Ms. Earp, are you inclining that I stink?” Nicole dramatically placed her hands over her heart in mock horror.

“God, you’re such a dork.” Waverly kissed her girlfriend quickly and started walking towards the stairs. She turned back around. “Cole?”  
  
“Yea?” The Captain half hung out of her bedroom door while hanging on to the door frame so she wouldn’t fall. She smiled at the use of her new pet name, Waverly had started using recently.

The brunette raised one of her hands, bringing her pointer finger and thumb closer together. “Just a tad bit.” With that, Waverly started giggling and walked down the stairs.

Nicole shook her head. _Man, am I falling hard for her. Which will only make it harder if she doesn’t accept my past and that I’m not apart of it._

**____________________**

 

_Friday, November 11, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 7:05 p.m. (EST)_

If there was one word that would describe what Waverly was doing, it would be stalling. She knew it and Nicole knew it. But wasn’t going to push it. The redhead kept reminding herself that if she wanted her to know, than she’d tell her. Though the nervous energy that was bouncing off her girlfriend at the moment was a little distracting. It wasn’t because of the constant wiggling and re-situating the brunette was doing. It was because the Captain wasn’t sure if she should say something or if placing a hand on the bouncing knee that was connected to the nervous ball of energy to make it stop would be a good idea. All options considered, it was better to just let the shorter woman do her thing. _Might be safer that way._

The both of them were sitting on the couch. The Captain took her usual spot which was the end of the couch, furthest from the tv. The brunette, who usually would sit in between Nicole’s legs or lay on top on her, was sitting on the next cushion over. Waverly literally felt like she was going to explode. It wasn’t everyday that you tell your girlfriend that your past was pretty fucked up. Though with Willa coming to town in a few weeks, it was better to do it now than have some awkward tension when introducing her girlfriend to her oldest sister. _Oh god! I don’t want Willa knowing Nicole. Who knows what kind of homophobic comments she would say and I for one do not want to find out._

“Willa is my sister.” Waverly blurted out. Finally breaking the awkward silence in the room. She looked over at Nicole to see her reaction but her expression was hard to read. Instead of letting the Captain respond she continued. “You remember when I told you in one of the letters that I had an older sister that I don’t talk to?”

Nicole just nodded. She truly didn’t know what to say at the very moment and felt that it was easier to just listen.

“Willa was the one I was talking about.”

“Okay.. so why.. don’t you talk to her?” Nicole tried to tread lightly on the subject.

“Other than the fact that she’s homophobic, she made my life a living hell.” The hazel eyed woman took in a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled. Again, she looked at Nicole who gave her a reassuring smile. “Mama left when I four. Daddy was drunk and an abusive one at that. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, he was always drinking and took it out on me and mama. Willa was the golden child to him. First born and overall perfect. Wynonna, being a year younger than her, he didn’t think much of it. ‘Nonna always stayed close to her big sister though.

“When I came home from the hospital, daddy was convinced that I wasn’t his, so after I was born, he treated me as such. Of course, mama did her best to protect me. Hell, even Wynonna tried as well. Willa on the other hand, didn’t care. She believed anything that came out of daddy’s mouth.

“Mama couldn’t take the abuse anymore and left. Left! She left three kids with her abusive drunk of a husband and never looked back. Needless to say, I haven’t seen or heard from her in seventeen years.

“Anyways, after she left, that’s when I started getting the wrath of Willa. A few months after mama leaving, I was looking for something in daddy’s room. I happen to be looking in one of the drawers when she caught me. Willa promised me that she wouldn’t tell him if I walked across one of the beams in the barn at the homestead. I so scared that she was going to do it, so of course, I did it. I could of broken my neck but she didn’t care.

“There was another time when she took my favorite stuff bunny, Mr. Rabbit, and threw him out onto the frozen lake. I ran out to go get him and didn’t know that the lake wasn’t thick enough in certain spots. Willa knew that though. When I finally reached Mr. Rabbit, I fell through the ice. She just stood there and watch me scream at the top of lungs for help. If it wasn’t for Wynonna magically showing up, I would of drowned. I was five when that happened.

“The spring after I turned six, daddy got into some really hefty debt. He’d go to Shorty’s and play poker. Apparently he’d promise his next few following paychecks to pay them what he owed. Now mind you, daddy was the sheriff at the time. A terrible one at that. When he never gave them their money, they came to homestead looking for it. Daddy being the honorable man that he was, spent it all on booze. So naturally these men wanted to teach daddy a lesson. They came storming into the house, found Willa first and started hitting her. Being his favorite, he begged them to stop. Inside, Wynonna went searching for daddy’s gun. The same one that she carries with her all the time. After finding it, she ran out. The men were carrying daddy further away from the house and Wynonna, trying to help, fired the gun. Hoping that it would either hit one of the men or at least scare them off. Instead it hit daddy in the back and killed him.

“After everything that happened that night, Aunt Gus and Uncle Curtis took all of us in. Willa didn’t like the idea. Wynonna was still in a state of shock along with myself. The following years it only got worse. ‘Nonna ended up in a mental institution a few times. Willa blame me for it. Even though she damn well knew it was because of that night. But that didn’t stop her for making me feel like shit. She’d tell me that the reason for mama leaving was because of me. Because I wasn’t an Earp so daddy hit her more. His drinking more was my fault. Him being abusive was my fault. Everything was my fault according to Willa.

“When I came out at just before turning seventeen, Wynonna decided to leave shorty after and explore the world. It didn’t help my case either. Willa yet again found the opportunity to make me feel like it was my fault for her leaving. That she couldn’t stand being around me because I was gay. That I would somehow turn her. Infect her like I had some disease. It took me two years to finally come out to my family and even then, when I did, I was scared out of mind. Willa was the only one who didn’t and doesn’t approve of me.

“Out of everything that has ever happened to me, no one ever noticed. Wynonna was oblivious to everything because her and Willa were thick as thieves, you know. It was like turning a blind eye to literally everything. Willa even got Wynonna to help in some of the torturing. But it was nothing compared to what she did to me when ‘Nonna wasn’t around.

“Willa moved to god knows where shorty after Wynonna. So I was free of her. Finally able to relax and breath without having a constant reminder of never being completely safe her around. Now I have to face it all over again and it scares me. I don’t want to. I don’t even want to be here in Purgatory when she shows up. What am I suppose to do, Cole? I cant go through that alone again.”

At some point, Waverly had started to cry in which Nicole had pulled her into arms. Trying to comfort her girlfriend as best as possible while letting the brunette get everything she wanted say, out. The Captain just listened. It was all she could do. She couldn’t believe that this sweet and bubbly, nicest person in Purgatory, went through so much as a kid. It was an eye opener though. The redhead had it easy compared to her girlfriend and yet, the shorter woman shared that part of her past with her. From the sounds of it, it was the first time Waverly ever told anyone about it. She trusted Nicole with this information and was now looking for guidance.

“I promise you, you are not alone. I will be there for you if that’s what you want.”

“You’d do that for me?”

“I’d do a lot of things to you.” The Captain said without even thinking.

“For.. For me, Nicole.” Waverly couldn’t help but smirk. Thought she cursed at herself for the stuttering over the words.

“Yup, that too.” Nicole blushed deeply. Her face matching her hair and was now appreciating the fact that Waverly’s back was against her chest, so she couldn’t see just how red her face was. There was silence for a moment or two and all of a sudden, Nicole came up with an idea. She cleared her throat a little and attempted to continue from the tiny embarrassment she caused herself. “So just to change moods here..”

“Please do.” Waverly added in. Very happy that her girlfriend was changing subjects.

“How do you feel about flying?”

**____________________**

 

_ Saturday, November 12, 2016 ~ Widows State Park; Purgatory, Maine — 8:27 a.m. (EST) _

Now that the women had been together for almost a month and a half, the brunette decided to show Nicole how she was able to disappear so quickly. The Captain was impress and also felt a little dumb. Not once did she think to check the woods. Then again, she also couldn’t think straight after seeing the shorter woman. Not that she did anything straight for that matter anyways.

Waverly showed her Captain all of the secret trails that she had found over the years. They would of gone kayaking but the weather was cold and being out on the water would of been colder. Nicole made a mental note to make sure to bring her girlfriend out once spring came and the water wasn’t frozen.

Both women did a short run. Trying to see if one as faster than the other. Nicole figured that with her semi longer legs, she would be faster. Boy was she wrong. Waverly told her that because she was smaller, she was able to get more speed. The redhead just laughed at the statement. It was easier and it made logic sense too.

At the end of the run, Nicole gave her girlfriend a piggyback ride. It was something that she enjoyed doing and Waverly loved it as well. It didn’t matter where they were, if the brunette mentioned it, the Captain would stop walking and let the shorter woman jump on her back. A small reason that Waverly loved getting piggybacks rides was because she would be able to play with Nicole’s dog tags that she always wore. It was a subconscious move. She didn’t mean to do it the first time but it never seemed to bothered the taller woman, so now when she was on her girlfriends back, her hands would fiddle with the mental tags.

“So you still haven’t answered my questioned from last night.” Nicole broke the comfortable silence that they were in.

“I’ve never been on a plane before.” The brunette replied from above.

“Do you want to? Its okay if you don’t.”

“I wouldn’t mind going flying. I mean, I do want to travel to different countries and it be faster to fly than to take to boat, right?” Waverly chuckled. Not noticing the smile that splayed across the redheads face.

“Today is beautiful day to go flying.”

“Wait, what?”

“Hope you like rode trips, babe.” 

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, November 12, 2016 ~ Willa’s Condo; Houston, Texas — 9:13 a.m. (CT)_

With weeks to plan ahead for the upcoming traveling, Robert was able to double check all the items he was planning on bringing. He hated that he wasn’t able to bring his suits. It was the one thing that he loved to wear. Minus his fur coat that went with his alias name. Though the sad part about that too, was he wasn’t able to be him either. Robert had to go as himself and it bugged the shit out of him.

Telling his girlfriend to tone it down a notch when it came to her clothing, was an interesting fight. She knew Robert was right, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. They could easily say that he work for business that paid very well. It wouldn’t be lying and it wouldn’t be telling the whole truth as well. Though Willa was more concern about showing off how ‘rich’ she was compared to her sisters. Top designers clothes and shoes, and the expensive car to match. She didn’t want to go back from all that she had now. It was selfish yes, but she didn’t care. The one thing that made it better for her was knowing that her younger sisters would never be able to have what she has now.

“We need to go over this again.” Robert called over to his girl.

The both of them had gone over the plan at least fifteen times already. It was simple. Like solving a nine piece puzzle. Easy. Straight to the point. Only would take a minute or two to solve. But this wasn’t a puzzle. This was finding a traitor. One that both Robert and Willa were hoping to find when they went to Maine.

With no new information on Nicole Haught’s whereabouts, it was still like finding a needle in haystack. In their case, it was like finding a certain redhead in Ireland. Next to nearly impossible. It wasn’t going to stop them from trying though. Not when the endgame was so much.

“How many times do we have to do this?” Willa snapped back.

“Until the Boss thinks its drilled into our heads.” Robert snarled.

“Fine. Lets get this over with. Again.”

“If we find her, what’s the first step?”

“Alert the Boss.” She said flatly.

“Step two?” Robert replied sternly. Making a point to tell her to stop with the attitude.

“Get to know to her. Befriend her.” Willa backdown and said calmly.

“Step three?”

“Make her seem like she can trust us.” She smirked.

“And finally, the most important step?”

“Find her weakness.”

Robert and Willa smiled at each other. They were ready. The end of December couldn’t come fast enough for them. 

**____________________**

 

_ Saturday, November 12, 2016 ~ Airport; Portland, Maine — 11:54 a.m. (EST) _

During the two hour drive, Nicole learned that her girlfriend really doesn’t have much patience. Almost every twenty minutes or so, the Captain would be ask ‘ _where are we going_ ’ or ‘ _where are you taking me_ ’. Followed by a remark, ‘ _oh god, this is where you kill me, right?_ ’ The statement made her feel uncomfortable, knowing her past. Even if it was meant to be a joke.

Waverly had picked up on the nervous laugh Nicole gave her after her joke. She quickly changed subjects and decided to turn up volume on the radio. After singing to one of the songs, she looked over to her girlfriend and gave her a challenging look. The redhead accepted and the both of them sang for the majority of the car ride. Very badly at that as well. At the end of every song, the shorter woman would lean over and kiss Nicole’s cheek. Hoping that the small action wouldn’t distract her. After the sixth time, the Captain placed her hand on the other woman’s thigh and would squeeze her leg as a response back. Knowing she couldn’t repay the kiss properly.

As Nicole drove closer to her destination, the brunette started to realize where they were. It had been awhile since she had been to Portland. For some odd reason, she wasn’t putting two and two together when the taller woman pulled onto the road to the airport. She thought it was odd that they would have to drive so far to go flying. There was a small airport near Purgatory for those who had a sport pilot license. Knowing that her girlfriend flew military jets and helicopters, Waverly knew that Nicole would have some type of license. She just didn’t know which one. It still didn’t explain why they were pulling into this particular airport though.

Instead of asking the the question, Waverly remained quiet. Watching as the Captain drove up to the security gate, typed in a code, and continued driving towards the air strip. Nicole took a quick glance over to her passenger. She couldn’t help but chuckle. The shorter woman was trying to casually look around but the excitement in her eyes gave it away.

Finally after a few more minutes of driving, Nicole parked near a medium sized hanger bay. She looked over at her girlfriend, practically jumping in her seat. The Captain was excited and eager to share one of things that she loved doing most. Even if Waverly did look nervous but also curious about the whole situation. Without hesitation, the redhead jumped out of the truck, ran around to passenger side and opened the door up for the shorter woman.

“You know I can open doors right?”

“After almost two months of dating, you’re now finally mentioning this?” Nicole smirked at her and it resulted in a playful slap on her shoulder from her girlfriend.

“You’re such an ass you know that?” Waverly said jokingly.

“Mhm. I know. But you lo.. like me anyways.” The Captain kissed the shorter woman softly then grabbed her hand. Bringing her over to the hanger bay.

“That I do, Cole.” _I’m even falling in love with you._

The taller woman stopped just outside the door and turned to Waverly. “When I was eighteen and got my pilot license, my grandparents, Sam and Marie, bought me my first plane. It worked, got me where I wanted to go but it needed more done on it. After graduating college and getting a mechanical know how on fixing planes. I did just that. Took a couple of years but was able to remodel it. Someone from overseas saw my airplane. Mind you it was a an older plane, like something collectors want and offered me a trade. I ended up taking it and now I own this.” Nicole opened the door and stepped back to allow her girlfriend to walk in first.

“Wow.” Was all Waverly could say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Portland is on the coast of Maine. But for the purpose of the this story, its further inland.


	13. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reveal??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am at the point of this story where everything is starting to shift. So with that being said, I want to take my time and make sure that all the plot points I have plan are written thoroughly. It’s completely out of my element for what I have plan so I hope I do justice.  
> New posting schedule will hopefully be every Friday.

_Saturday, November 12, 2016 ~ Airport; Portland, Maine — 11:55 a.m. (EST)_

“Wow.” Waverly said again.

Nicole chuckled at her shocked girlfriend. She stepped around her, grabbed her hand and started to pull Waverly towards the airplane. The Captain had been wanting to do this for the last few weeks, but there was never any time to do so. Very rarely did they actually have a whole day to themselves.

Nicole always worked Monday through Friday with the occasional Saturday or Sunday when she had to stand duty. Waverly’s work schedule would be different almost every week. Gus would try to keep it the same but if something came up, that’s when the brunettes schedule would change.

Being in the hanger bay, was like a dream come true. Nicole wanted to share this experience with her. But right now, it wasn’t about that. It was about clearing Waverly’s mind and the best way the redhead knew how, was taking her in the sky.

“When ever I feel upset, angry, need to clear my head or even make a decision. I go flying.” Nicole said as they finally stopped a few feet from the airplane.

“How come?” The brunette was intrigued.

“Because when I’m up there.” The Captain pointed towards the sky. “I feel free. Like the weight of the world is no longer on my shoulders. No one can hurt me if I’m high above where they cant reach me.” Nicole breathed out the last couple of words.

Waverly stood in front of her girlfriend and wiped away the single tear on Nicole’s cheek. “There’s more to that statement isn’t there?” She keep her voice soft as she watched the taller woman nod her head slowly against her palm. “Whatever it is, I’m here for you, baby.” Nicole nodded again. “Now, you brought me here to go flying and I need my Captain to do that. So what do you say?”

The smile that came upon Nicole’s face, made the brunette weak at the knees. It was a smile that she loved seeing. The dimples, side of her eyes crinkling, even her teeth showing. It was the type of smile that Waverly lived for. It was most the. beautiful one she’d ever seen and would do everything in her power to see it everyday.

“Okay.” Nicole answered back excitedly. Her past being put off for another day. “Do you have any questions?”

“Seriously Cole?” Waverly gave her look that said ‘you should already know that answer.’

“Right. I’ll just dive in with some basics. This is an Embraer Phenom 100. It seats four passengers in the cabin and two in the cockpit.”

“And where will I be sitting this afternoon?” Nicole turned around and Waverly saw the faintest of red on her cheeks.

“I thought.. maybe you could.. ride with me in the cockpit.” The Captain said slowly. Suddenly feeling very nervous.

Waverly tilted her head back, leaned forward on her tippy toes and pecked Nicole’s lips. She heard the taller woman hum and relax against her lips. What was meant to be a short and simple kiss turned into passionate and heated one. The brunette’s hands quickly found their way around the Captain’s neck, playing with the short hair(that was recently cut)at the nape of Nicole’s head. The redhead wrapped her arms tightly around the shorter women’s waist and lifted her off the ground.

If there was one thing that the brunette enjoyed most about kissing her Captain, was when Nicole would subconsciously pick her up. She loved knowing how strong her girlfriend was. Whether the taller woman knew it or not, Waverly found herself slightly aroused every time she was suspended in the air. Without realizing it, the shorter woman’s legs were now wrapped around the redheads waist and she felt Nicole’s arms strongly holding her thighs. Which only made Waverly feel even more aroused.

Neither one of them knew how long they stayed liked that, but Nicole reluctantly pulled back and pressed her forehead against Waverly’s. “Before we get to carried away, lets go inside and I’ll explain the control panel. Plus answer every question I know you have for me.” She said with a chuckle.

Waverly nodded and unhooked her legs. As her feet touched the ground, she took a step back and adjusted her clothes at the same time. The brunette cleared her throat hoping that her voice wouldn’t give away that she was very much turned on. “Uh yea. Good idea.”

The redhead turned around and opened the door to her private jet. As she did so, Nicole hid the smirk on her face. She knew exactly what she was doing to her girlfriend but reminded herself that she would wait until they were both ready for that next step. The Captain was fine with waiting to have sex. To her, waiting meant that their first time together would mean more because they got to know each other first. Rather than building a relationship that could be base off just sex. When the time was right, she knew that hers and Waverly’s first time would be incredible.

“Your chariot await you, madam.” Nicole said whilst bowing and speaking in a terrible British accent.

“You’re such a dork.”

“That may be, but we have agreed that I’m your dork.”

“That you are.” As she started to walk past Nicole, the brunette stopped and gave her Captain a quick peak on the cheek.

Nicole followed Waverly into her jet and closed the door behind. Switching from civilian to pilot, just as the click on the door latched.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, November 12, 2016 ~ Airport; Portland, Maine — 1:55 p.m. (EST)_

Explaining all the different parts on the control panel in the cockpit was an adventure all in itself. For Waverly, it was like learning a new language that she was dying to know. She had never been on plane before and to do it with someone she was falling in love in with, made the experience even better. Nicole answered every single one of her questions and explained it thoroughly. When her Captain asked her if she wanted to turn the engine on, the brunette knew she was a little to eager when she practically jumped in her seat, that she was already sitting in, and squealed with excitement. The redhead didn’t seem to mind. She too, was just as excited.

Driving up to the runway, once Nicole made sure it was safe for take off, that’s when Waverly’s nerves started to get the best of her. The pit of her stomach began to turn and the sudden need to vomit was all she could think about. Feeling that way only made her anxiety worse. Thankfully her girlfriend noticed and reached over to grab her hand. Told her that even though she flies for a living, she still gets nervous every now and again. That it was okay to feel nervous and that she would turn back around to the hanger bay if she wasn’t feeling up to it.

Waverly’s well being was always Nicole’s main concern and watching the brunette start to go into a panic attack meant putting everything on hold. After Thursday night, she learned that the shorter woman would begin to calm down under her touch. Which was exactly what happened after she laced their fingers together and gently squeeze Waverly’s hand.

A couple of deep breaths later, the brunette was fine and told Nicole to continue. Of course the redhead had to double check just to be on the safe side. After searching into her eyes and found that Waverly was indeed fine and meant it, she called into the telecom to let them know that she was ready for take off. If it wasn’t for the fact that the Captain needed both hands to fly the jet into the sky, she would of continued holding onto her girlfriends.

The taller woman only went fifteen thousand feet into the air. Knowing that all the other planes that came in and out of the airport flew twenty five thousand feet and higher. When Nicole told Waverly how high they were, the brunette started to chuckling.

“What’s so funny?” The redhead asked, glancing over to her girlfriend.

“It’s just that fifteen thousand feet is the number I picked for if and or when I wanted to go skydiving.”

“You want to jump out of plane?”

“You don’t?” Waverly countered.  
  
Nicole lightly laughed. “Oh I already have. A few times actually.”

“Really? When?”

“Overseas. Couple of my missions were hard to get to with any type of aircraft or humvee’s. Going by foot would of been taken to long and be extremely dangerous. So skydiving seemed liked a good option.” Nicole said.

“Wow and here I thought you would of been the one flying the plane.”

“I was suppose to be. But my leadership and marksman skills were needed on the ground.”

Waverly hesitated on asking her next question. “Do you ever get flashbacks from when you were over there?”

“Sometimes. I have been diagnosed with a mild case of PTSD. Though it’s not from when I was over there.” Nicole says without even realizing what she had just said.

“I don’t understand.” The brunette was confused.

“I have it from when I was a teenager.” Nicole confessed.

“Nicole?” Waverly’s voice was filled with concern.

“I’m sorry. I..I’d rather not talk about it while being thousands of feet in the air.”

“Yea. Of course.”

After that conversation, Waverly didn’t push or try to seek more answers from Nicole. Her girlfriends body language and tone of voice told her to leave it be. It was the first time the redhead had actually mentioned something negative about her past. Usually it was just fond memories of being in Maine during the summer and the occasional February break. The shorter woman had never heard anything that was about Texas. She didn’t even know what town or city the Captain grew up in.

Instead, she changed the subject. Light and open hearted. Anything that wouldn’t trigger or stir up bad memories. Waverly wasn’t sure what could of caused Nicole to have PTSD at such an early age. When she thought about it, she didn’t know when it started either. The brunette wanted her Captain to open up and let her in. Just like she did yesterday when she talked about Willa and even her father. No one knew that information and yet, the shorter woman opened up like a book to the redhead.

A little while later, Nicole turned the jet around and headed back to the airport. Luckily for them, they had a late breakfast so flying out at noontime wasn’t a big deal. But once, both of their stomachs started to growl, the Captain laughed and realized it was almost one fifteen. The only bad thing about the situation was that they were still forty minutes away from their destination.

The redhead radioed into the station once again to make sure the air strip was clear. After getting to the go head to land, Nicole landed the jet with ease. Waverly wasn’t as nervous as she was when they first took off, which she was happy about. Overall the rest of the plane ride exceeded the expectations for both women.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, November 12, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 10:00 p.m. (EST)_

The remaining part of the afternoon was spent a couple of different locations. They went to a restaurant for their lunch and then proceeded to the mall that was near by. The both of them got some weird looks while walking throughout the building. Due to the fact that only one of them was actually walking. Nicole was giving Waverly a piggyback ride and would start spinning around in circles just to make her girlfriend laugh.

At some point, they started playing hide and seek that turned into Marco Polo. The Captain went to use the restroom and Waverly thought it would be fun to go hide in one of shops. Using her height to her advantage. She sent Nicole a ‘Find me if you can’ text. After half an hour of searching and the brunette running in and out of every store every time her girlfriend walked into the store next to the one she was hiding in, that’s when the game turned into Marco Polo.

What made the game harder for Nicole was that Waverly got other people to join in. ‘You think you’re clever don’t you?’ Is the text the shorter woman received. Followed by a ‘you’re lucky you’re cute’ text. Waverly just sent back the laughing emoji. The cat and mouse game ended at that point because the brunette couldn’t hold in her laughter anymore. To which the redhead was surprisingly near by and luckily knew Waverly’s laugh. Deciding to ‘get back’ at her girlfriend for starting the game that lasted an hour long, she quietly walked up behind and jumped her. Causing the shorter woman to squeal and laugh even harder once realizing it was Nicole.

Afterwards, Waverly challenged her Captain to a game of floor checkers. It was an intense game considering the both of them were analyzing every move the other one made. To make the game interesting, Nicole thought it would be fun to stand on the checker pieces. In which caused an up roar in the other woman.

“Nicole, you cant do that!”

“And why not?” Nicole said innocently.

“Because the rules say I cant take a turn until you are no longer touching the checker piece.”

“So I’ll just tell you when I’m done taking my turn.”

“You are insufferable.”

“I know.” The Captain laughed while taking her turn.

Nicole lost all three games that they had played. She didn’t care though. The smile on her girlfriends face when she won made her feel like she had won too. She’d lose every game if it meant seeing Waverly’s smile each and every time. The same smile that she craved to see all the time.

It was ten o’clock at night when they finally arrived back at the house. To their surprise, neither of them were tired. Entering the house, Waverly noticed that her Captain had started being slightly distance. As if trying to figure out a a thousand piece puzzle in her mind. She thought best to leave her girlfriend to her thoughts.

Once upstairs and ready for bed though, Waverly could no longer stand the silence. Nicole was the talkative one, so her being so quiet and lost in space was completely unlike her. It was starting to worry the shorter woman just how distracted her Captain was while being lost in her own mind.

“Cole?” Waverly spoke softly. Nicole just continued going about getting ready for bed. “Nicole?” The brunette tried again. This time she got a response back.

“Yea?”

“Is everything alright? You’ve been quiet for almost twenty minutes and it’s starting to worry me.”

“What?.. Oh! Yea, I’m fine. Just thinking about something.”

“Oh. Okay.” Waverly didn’t want to push matter. So she just sat in the middle of bed while watching Nicole gather her thoughts in the middle of the room.

“So I have an idea. Which you can totally tell me no to. But I was thinking about what you said yesterday about not wanting to be in Purgatory when your sister is here.” Nicole bit her bottom and looked sheepishly over to her girlfriend before continuing. “If you had to pick a country right now to visit, where would you go?”

Waverly was surprised. She had no idea where Nicole was going with this but went with it anyways. “Someplace warm, like Hawaii or the Bahamas. Ooh the Caribbean Islands would be nice too. Maybe even Australia. Would love to see a kangaroo.”

Nicole grinned at her girlfriend who was listing off places that even she wanted to go to. She sat down on the edge and turned so she was looking at Waverly. “What if we went to one of those places?”

“What?”

“You and me. We go on vacation to any one of those places, your choice of course, during the time your sister is here. That way there, your not here when she is and..” The Captain searched the brunettes face to see if there any hope or consideration in her idea.  
“This is.. a bad idea. Never mind. Forget that I..”

“Nicole.” Waverly reached and grabbed the redheads arm before she could get off the bed. “I’m sorry. It just surprised me is all.” She paused for a moment. “No ones ever put me first like that before so it caught me off guard.” The brunette pulled Nicole towards her so she was sitting in the middle of the bed. Waverly then straddled her Captain. Giving a quick kiss on her lips. “I’d love to go on vacation with you. I know Gus will understand and let me have the time off. But what about you though?”

“I have plenty of leave days saved up so I could take a couple of weeks off. So as long as you have a passport, we can go anywhere you want in the world.”

Waverly began kissing Nicole instead of responding back. The little voice in the back of her mind wanted to tell her Captain ‘I love you’ but back out the last second. The shorter woman decided that if she wasn’t going to say it, she was going to show it.

The kiss was slow at first then quickly became heated. Hands were roaming and tongues were fighting for dominance. The brunette started to grind into her girlfriends lap making Nicole moan and wanting more. Then Waverly attempted to take off the Captain’s shirt.

“Wait. Waverly, wait.” Nicole breathed out. “Are you sure?”

“Yea, I’m sure and I.. I like you.”

“I like you too.” The Captain looked into the shorter woman’s eyes and despite the confession from her girlfriend all she saw was nothing but love and desire in them.

Waverly surged forward connecting the lips again. Nicole tighten her arms around the brunettes back and fell backwards into the bed bringing her girlfriend with her. That night, they explored each other’s bodies and poured every ounce of feelings that they had for one another.

**____________________**

 

_Saturday, November 12, 2016 ~ Library; Houston, Texas — 9:05 a.m. (CT)_

It had been whole hour since Shannon arrived at the library. She told her husband that she needed to run some errands. It wasn’t a complete lie. The plan was to go to the grocery store, the post office and the gun shop to pick up more bullets. Fortunately, she was able to do this alone. Unlike other times, she would have an ‘escort’ with her.

The moment she walked through the doors of the library though, Shannon avoided the computers at all costs. It was always a risk to use them. It was risk to be anywhere if she truly thought about it. Especially for her. One wrong move and it could cost her her life. Though Nicholas loved her, it wouldn’t take much for that love to turn into hatred. _He once loved our daughter, but look how that turned out._

A week ago, the woman had gone out to do some ‘simple’ errands. She told her husband that she wanted to brush up on her fighting and shooting skills. Which she did just that, in case if he wanted to check security cameras to make sure she wasn’t lying. It hurt to think that her own husband didn’t trust her, but then again, Nicholas was betrayed by his own blood. His mantra was ‘fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me’. He started living by that quote the moment Nicole left.

At some point, during her ‘errands’, Shannon went and bought a burner phone. Something that she had done before. She got rid of it just as fast as she bought it. No one knew about it the last time and hoped it stayed that way this time around.

Shannon looked down at her watch. Eight fifty nine. It was almost time to get on the computers as planned. But her thoughts started to get the best of her. _I have to tell him. I need him to warn her. I wish I could be the one to do so. If only I knew how to get ahold of her. I hope someday she’ll forgive me._ What she was about do, was the unthinkable. Her heart started beating rapidly as she got onto the computer and started typing. Nine o’four. She moved the mouse over the words that said ‘send’. _You have to do this._ Click.

+++

Email:

From: Webster, Shannon <Shannon.Webster@gmail.com>

To: Webster, Liam <L.Webster@gmail.com>

Subject: Urgent!!

Liam,

Nicholas has started another search. It will start during the holidays. I’m afraid this time is different. I just know it. Someone suggested that maybe Nicole joined the military and now he’s doing everything he can think of to be able to search the bases. I truly hope he never finds her because if he does, Nicole will die at her father hands. If you’ve talked to her, tell her I love her and that I understand why she left. If you know where my daughter, tell her to leave. As fast as she can. No turning back. She needs to keep moving until the search over. I love you Liam.

Love,  
Shannon

+++

A few minutes laters, Shannon heard a ping sound come out of the computer. She stared at the little box on the screen for pregnant moment. Taking a deep breath, she clicked it.

+++

Email:

From: Webster, Liam <L.Webster@gmail.com>

To: Webster, Shannon <Shannon.Webster@gmail.com>

Subject: RE: Urgent!!

It’s never good if your resulting to using your old email but thank you for the update sis. I wish I could tell that I’ve heard from her. But you and I both know that I can’t. Is Nick really that desperate to keep this business under wraps that he’s willing to kill his own flesh an blood? Actually don’t answer that. I already know the answer. I know I don’t know all the details to his secret business you got yourself into, but its been eight years since Nicole went off the grid. If she hasn’t said anything by now, what makes you think she’s going to at this point. That girl isn’t stupid. She’ll stay in hiding her entire life if it means staying away from him. God bless her if she ever decides to try and find happiness in her life.

+++

Email:

From: Webster, Shannon <Shannon.Webster@gmail.com>

To: Webster, Liam <L.Webster@gmail.com>

Subject: RE: RE: Urgent!!

I hope to god Nicole never tells anyone. If she does, they will die too. If I knew how to call this search off, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Especially if it meant keeping my daughter alive. Nicholas is just scared. The business means so much to him. It’s his families legacy. I know it sounds like I’m justifying his actions but I’m not. I don’t agree with it. This business is all he cares about. Nicole would just be collateral damage to him. Anything to keep his business going. I mean it, Liam. She needs to be warned or else my only child will be dead before sees the age of thirty. Help me with this. Please. Don’t let my baby die. I miss her so much. I’ve already lost her once. But at least she’s still alive somewhere and trying to have a normal life. Please don’t let death be the thing that takes her away from me permanently. Remember, Nicholas must never hear of this. If he finds out that I’ve been emailing you every time they’ve done a search for her, I’ll be good as dead as my own daughter.

+++

Nine fifteen. Shannon signed off the computer and let out the breath she knew she was holding in. _What I am doing is right. I am protecting her. Even if it means staring down the end of barrel of a gun being held by husband. I will protect her. No matter what._

Shannon left the library feeling relieved but also even more scared than she was when walking into the building. There was no way of knowing if her daughter would ever get the message. It was a fear that never went away. Though the thought of her husband finding their daughter and most likely killing her, that’s what kept her up at night.

Eight years she had been telling her brother to contact Nicole. Eight years of never knowing if he had or not. It was the agreement. Knowing would only make it harder on her and would want to try to make contact with her daughter. If she knew, it would only blow up in her face. Nicholas would miraculously find out and demand for the answers that he craved for. Though she’d never give that information up. _Over my dead body would I ever give my daughter up like she never meant anything to me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone had asked back in the beginning where Liam was getting his information. I remembered and figured I’d put that in there instead of leaving it unanswered.


	14. Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Domestic Wayhaught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried my hand at some really light smut. Never written it before so decided to try it. Which is why, like I said, its really light.

_Sunday, November 13, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 6:51 a.m. (EST)_

The morning sun shined through the curtains waking the brunette up. It was early. To early for her liking. Not after last nights activities. Waverly went to move and to her surprise, she could. Some mornings when she woke up before her girlfriend, Nicole would be lying on top of her. Quite literally actually. The Captain’s head would either be on her chest or high up on her stomach, resting just below her breasts. The rest of her body would be settled between the shorter woman’s legs. Feet dangling off the edge of the bed.

Other mornings, like today’s, she would wake up laying half on top of Nicole. The taller woman lying her stomach. Waverly’s head would be between her shoulders, a leg draped over the other woman’s thighs. Arms anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes it would be the other way around. The brunette on her stomach and her Captain in the same position as she is now. Other times they would spooning. Though one thing always stayed the same, every night whenever she stayed with the redhead she would fall asleep in her arms.

All the other times they had gone to bed and woke up with their pajamas on. This morning was different though. Waverly lifted her head some and started peppering light kisses to Nicole’s bare shoulder blade. She smiled into the kisses. Remembering all the details of their perfect night together. It was everything she had hoped for. If she was being honest with herself, it was actually hundred times better than anything she had imagine.

“Mmhmm.” Waverly heard Nicole moan.

“Morning sleepyhead.” The brunette kissed the back of the Captain’s neck.

“To early.” Nicole said. Her voice very heavy with sleep.

“I know. But the sun says otherwise.”

“The sun is stupid.” Waverly chuckled while sitting up just enough for Nicole to turned onto her back. She pressed herself back into her Captain after she had gotten comfortable. “Hi.” The redhead breathed out.

“Hi.” The brunette leaned forward and kissed Nicole’s lips. Lingering for a moment before pulling away and laying her head back on her Captain’s chest. She felt her girlfriends arms coil tightly around her waist.

They laid like that for awhile. The both of them didn’t say anything else. Just enjoying the feeling of being in each other’s embrace. It didn’t matter that they were both naked. The feeling would still be the same. It was something that both Nicole and Waverly felt, but didn’t dare mention it. It felt like it was still to early in the relationship to say anything in fear that it might scare the other one off. But that feeling, of being in each other’s arms, felt like home.

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, November 13, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 8:32 a.m. (EST)_

“Cole?”

The both of them had fallen back to sleep. Not that it would of surprised them much. Considering the fact they didn’t fall asleep until after midnight. The feeling of being with each other fully with no barriers between them was exciting and new. It was like discovering new territory. New places to explore with the desire to touch every inch of it. It was insatiable. Nicole and Waverly wanted, needed to know all of the nook and crannies of ones body. Until pure exhaustion took over them. Even then, it wasn’t enough.

Waverly smirked at the woman sleeping soundly underneath her. Her Captain was snoring. Unlike her sister, Nicole was quiet. Wynonna could wake the dead with her snoring. The sleeping woman looked peaceful. _It would be ashamed if someone woke you up. Again._

Slowly, the brunette moved. Kissing along the bare chest below her. She traveled her way down to the valley between Nicole’s breast, hot open mouth kisses along the swell of them before taking one of the redheads nipples into her mouth. Sucking lightly and flicking the bud with her tongue. She gently bit the bud with her teeth whilst squeezing the other breast in her hand.

“Hmm.” Waverly stilled for a moment when Nicole started to shift. She watched as her girlfriends eyes began to open and brown eyes met her hazel ones. The brunette released her Captain’s nipple with a pop and switch to the other breast.

“What a way to wake up.” Nicole’s voice was groggy.

“Mmm I bet.” Waverly said before nipping at the erect bud. The redhead moaned.

A minute later Waverly stopped earning a groan from Nicole. She folded arms on top of her Captains chest and drew lazy patterns across it. The brunette looked up to see a pout forming on her girlfriends face causing her to laugh lightly.

“You are cruel, Waverly Earp.”

“Poor baby.” The shorter woman cooed. “How about I make it up to you?”

“What do you have in mind?” Nicole raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll make breakfast while you jump in shower.”

“Hmm.. you could join me if you want and then we could make breakfast... together?”

Before Nicole could even finish her sentence, Waverly was quickly getting out of bed and over to the bathroom. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of her naked girlfriend. With or without clothes, the brunette was undeniably the most beautiful woman her had ever seen. Once the other woman was in the bathroom she heard the sound of water running.

“Cole, I took you up on offer and now I’m in here solo. Don’t make me use a pun just to get you in here!” Waverly yelled from inside the bathroom.

The Captain just shook her head. “You wouldn’t dare.” She yelled back.

“Haughtass, come join me, please.”

“Yes dear.” Nicole smiled, got up and made her way to the other room

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, November 13, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 9:53 a.m. (EST)_

Showering took a bit longer than expected. Waverly had fully intended on finishing on what she had started with her Captain. She certainly didn’t get any complains from her either. Nicole was just as eager as she was.

Finally after taking their long shower and getting dressed, they went downstairs to make and eat breakfast. Since it was their last day together before going back to work, the both of them decided to stay in. Watching what ever movie or tv show looked good. As long as they were together, it truly didn’t matter what they watched.

There was one thing that bother Waverly though. She was hoping that Nicole would bring up her PTSD. The brunette didn’t want to mention it in fear that it could upset her girlfriend. All she wanted to do was get to know her better. All in all, she’d wait until her Captain was ready to bring up her past. Just like she did for her.

Laying on the couch together they were watching a documentary on the history channel. It was on Ancient Greece and even though Waverly had seen it a few times before, she still enjoyed watching it. Much to her surprise, Nicole was actually interested in it as well. She’d get a few questions here and there during commercials. Which she answered all of them and tried not to get to carried away with the explanations. The brunette still couldn’t believe that someone like the Captain would show any interest in the things she liked but time and time again she was proven wrong by her girlfriend.

Nicole had always asked her about her school work. Always wanting to know more on the subject that she was currently studying. Waverly could of been working on trigonometry and the redhead would still be interested. ‘Doesn’t hurt to brush up on my math skills’ is what she would say. The shorter woman would just shake her head at her ridiculous girlfriend. That woman was filled with surprises if nothing else.

“So..” Nicole said breaking the comfortable silence. Waverly lifted her head up from lying on her Captain’s chest to look her in the eyes. “Is there anything in particular that you want to do or need to get done today?”

“I finished all my homework on Friday while you were at work so if you want to go out instead of staying in that’s fine with me.”

“Like I said earlier baby, staying in is perfect. I’m just double checking and you can certainly change your mind at any time. I’m game for anything you want to do.”

Waverly started thinking about all the different options that they could do. Whether it was leaving and going somewhere. Like the activity center. Which wasn’t a bad idea. The shorter woman hadn’t been there since she went with Wynonna back when she first started seeing Nicole. The activity center was like a Dave & Buster. They had the basketball hoops, racing games, shooting games, claw machines, the big bass wheel, skee-ball, hell they even had a giant candy crush game.

She did want to stay in though. Laying there with her Captain, watching movies and tv shows was comfortable. It meant she was less likely to run into Wynonna. It was a stupid reason but seeing her meant she had a reminder that Willa was coming back to Purgatory soon. Not that she knew the dates anyways. Waverly took off before her sister could even say anything to her.

Nicole noticed how the smile on Waverly’s face altered and how her eyes started to get glossy. She didn’t know what the sudden change in moods was but if she had to take a guess, her girlfriend was probably thinking about the oldest Earp and her pending arrival. It wasn’t the first time this weekend that the brunette would end up in tears. Completely understandable too. The redhead had done it a few times over the last few years every time she found out her grandfather had started another search for her.

“How about we do something relaxing?” Nicole offered.

“How exactly can you get more relaxing than this?” Waverly gestured her hand at them.

“I mean.” The Captain laughed lightly. “Like baking or playing some board games. I’ll even play scrabble knowing you’d kick my ass at it.”

“Like I did in checkers?” The shorter woman kissed the pout on Nicole’s face. “Those do sound fun though.. I have been wanting donuts.”

“What is it with you Earps and donuts?”

“It’s a second lifeline to us. They’re tasty and go great with whiskey.”

“Good to know. Come on then.” The Captain slid from underneath her girlfriend and got up from the couch. She stuck her hand out. “Let’s go make some donuts and cookies.”

“Chocolate chip?” Waverly grabbed the offered hand and was pulled off from the sofa.

“And snickerdoodles.” Nicole said as they made their way into the kitchen. The documentary long forgotten.

At that very moment, Waverly was on the verge of blurting out ‘I love you’. Nicole knew how much she loved those cookies. Considering the first time the Captain had made them, she ate ninety-five percent of them. What she didn’t realize at the time was that it was double batch and she basically ate four dozen cookies in a two day time period, all by herself.

They entered the kitchen and went about collecting the ingredients and appliances for the chocolate chip cookies. Without voicing a word, Waverly went straight for the fridge to grab eggs and butter. This prompt Nicole to grab mixing bowls and spatulas. The both of them moved around each other effortlessly. The amount of times the youngest Earp had been to her Captain’s house, she had learned where everything was. So moving around the kitchen and collecting ingredients was a breeze.

The redhead had big toothy grin on her face when she noticed how well they worked together without having to saying anything at all. It felt like it was always like that. Any time Waverly had shown up and was waiting for Nicole to get home, the brunette knew her routine. She learned that her Captain would always do a workout session after getting home. Which usually was just her practicing her defense moves on the punching bag, along with sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and crunches.

After learning her Captain’s routine, she would immediately go up stairs and grab her workout gear. Clothes, kick boxing gloves, and her sneakers. As Nicole would get change, Waverly would make sure her water bottle was filled with ice cold water. She’d also make sure that her small portable speaker was already in the garage ready to go so the redhead would just have to connect it to Bluetooth.

Nicole picked up on the fact her girlfriend was doing these little things for her. In return, she would make sure her desk in the office was cleaned off the night before. Along with putting a dozen roses in one of the corners and leaving snacks downstairs that she knew the brunette liked. She found out that Waverly enjoyed being her in office when working on school work or her novel. It was peaceful and she didn’t have to worry about interrupted noises coming from the bar when being in her apartment. The redhead certainly didn’t mind either.

The other thing that they would do would be making dinner together. After the first time they had dinner with each other at Nicole’s place, the shorter woman wanted to watch her Captain cook. As much as it was fun doing so, she ended up helping. There was few bumps here and there when trying to accustomed herself to the new environment but she didn’t feel embarrassed about it. If anything she felt relaxed. Especially when Nicole would just turn around and guide her to the right cabinet she was looking for.

There was no teasing or making jokes about her height when trying to grab stuff from the top shelf. Not even when Nicole moved everything around so she could reach everything. At first, Waverly was upset by the gesture. She truly thought she was being made fun of for being short. Which was the complete opposite of what it meant. The Captain wanted her to feel comfortable in her home and if moving some things around to make it easier on her instead of cursing at the redhead for being so tall, than so be it. The brunette was so shell shocked. Her girlfriend was literally and purposely adjusting her life for the shorter woman. It was an action that she didn’t know what or how to respond to. So she just went with it and it stayed like ever since.

All the ingredients and baking tools were laid out on the kitchen island. Nicole finally remembered about the tv that was still going. She was so lost in the moment. Starting up a conversation about work and her last physical fitness test(PFT). How she exceeded the requirements for her age and most of the other men in her unit. After she was done talking she could hear the sound of someone’s voice coming from the living that wasn’t hers or Waverly’s. That’s when the redhead realized she forgot to turn off the tv before heading into the kitchen.

Before exiting the room, the Captain kissed the side of her girlfriends head. Waverly started on making the cookies while Nicole shut the tv off. She didn’t noticed that the redhead had gone into the garage and came back with her stereo. Only when the music started playing did she finally realized Nicole had came back. At first the youngest Earp didn’t recognize the song but once the chorus began she figured out she was listening to Body Language by Jesse McCartney feating T-pain.

“Jesse McCartney? Really baby?” Waverly asked.

“Yes. His songs my be cheesy but they’re also catchy. Not to mention one of friends from high school would sing his song ‘Beautiful Soul’ over and over, so I thought ‘why not’. I borrowed her CD, listened to the entire album and ended up liking it. Ever since, I’ve been listening to his music.”

Nicole had wrapped her arms around Waverly’s stomach and laid her chin on the shorter woman’s shoulder. Waverly leaned her back into her Captain, enjoying the feeling of being in her arms whilst mixing all the ingredients.

“His music really isn’t all that bad. Explains a lot though.”

“Why do you mean by that?”

“Some of his songs, girls swoon over. Plus the fact that you’re hopeless romantic so I see a teenage Nicole dedicating his songs to get the girl.” Waverly chuckled.

“You make me sound corny.” The Captain pouted.

“It’s romantic.. so what was teenage you like anyways? Were your parents okay with you being gay?” Nicole froze and her entire body became tense. Waverly felt her body language change. It was the second time that weekend her Captain went rigid. “Nicole?” She turned her head and tried looking at Nicole. “Baby, are you okay?”

Nicole blinked and pushed her thoughts to the side. “I’m fine. It’s just.. I don’t talk to my parents.”

“Oh. Did they not approve?”

“Something like that.” The taller woman said flatly.

  
It wasn’t lie. Her father didn’t like the fact that his only child was gay. Her mother on the other hand. She didn’t really know. Nicole’s mother never really had a say in the matter. It was Nicholas’s word and that was it.

“Do you want to talked about it?” Waverly hesitatingly asked.

“Not exactly.”

Again, Nicole had dismissed the topic. The brunette continued to mixed the cookie dough and acted like that it didn’t bother her that her girlfriend didn’t want to open up to her. It stung. God, did it sting. But she just had to keep reminding herself to not push the matter. Especially when the redhead would say dismiss it in a tone that said ‘it wasn’t up for discussion.’ Waverly just hoped that her Captain would open up and let her in soon.

“I’m sorry.” The shorter woman breathed out. It was quiet and if it wasn’t for the fact that Nicole’s head was still on her shoulder, the redhead would of missed it.

“What are you sorry for?” Nicole lifted her head and turned her girlfriend. She noticed that Waverly’s eyes were glossy and a couple of tears were on her cheeks. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s not. Tell me what’s bothering you.” The Captain cupped Waverly’s cheeks and used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away the tears.

“I just want to know you. The good, the bad and even the ugly but I don’t want you to feel like you have to tell me either.”

“Baby, I want to tell you everything. It’s just hard to bring up. No different than you telling me about your past but I promise I’ll let you in. Just give me a little more time. Please?”

“Promise?” Waverly asked.

“Promise.” Nicole sealed it with a kiss.

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, November 13, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 1:10 p.m. (EST)_

The chocolate chip dough was put in the fridge to chill. Snickerdoodles were made directly after. Nicole joked about making a triple batch, just so she’d actually be able to have some cookies this time. That earned her a playful slap to her shoulder.

Conversations flowed easily after the brief tension that they had. They suppressed the hurt feelings that came with it. The day was already half over and they wanted to make the most of it. Not wanting to let the little things destroy the rest of their day together. Especially since the next time they were able to see each other wouldn’t be until Wednesday. Nicole had to stand duty tomorrow and Waverly would be at the university on Tuesday all day. Thankfully it was also her last time going there until the new year.

Baking took a pause when noontime rolled around. For lunch they did left overs from dinner. Even though Nicole was set on making them something. Afterwards, the both of them got the ingredients for the donuts. While doing so, the Captain looked at the time. She was dreading the fact that her girlfriend wouldn’t be staying the night again.

“Hey Waves.” Nicole leaned against the island and looked at Waverly.

“What?”

“What time did you want me to bring you back to your place?” The redhead asked.

Waverly looked up from what she was doing and gave Nicole a confused look. “Why would you need to bring..” In that moment, it dawned on her. “Right. I completely forgot that I don’t have my Jeep here. In all honesty, if you didn’t bring it up I would of had to call Wynonna, Gus or Uncle Curtis to pick me in the morning.”

“If you want, you can bring me to work in the morning. Borrow the truck until Wednesday. That way there you don’t have to come pick me up after driving back from the university.. what?”

The look of shook of prominent of the younger woman’s face. “Nicole, do you realize what you’re doing?”

“What do you mean?” Nicole asked.

“For starters, you hate sleeping in the barracks. Just last week you told me you’d rather sleep on a bed of knives than the beds they have cause you refuse to use your rank to get the better quarters and yet here you are willing to sleep there for the next couple of days. Do you realize that you’re sculpting your life around me?”

The redhead was completely baffled. She couldn’t tell if Waverly was upset or mad. Her face was expressionless. Which did not help the situation at all. She thought her suggestion was a good idea and now she was second guessing it.

“I-I’m just trying to help. You don’t have your Jeep and from the sounds of it, you planned on staying again tonight. Which I’m all for. I just figured you could use my truck. It’s not like I need it until Tuesday night anyways. Is it wrong to want to help my girlfriend?” Nicole challenge her.

“No its not. It’s just I don’t need you to take care of me. I’m capable of doing things on my own.” Waverly left the kitchen, walked into the living room and started pacing.

If there was one thing that the brunette hated most, was feeling like a child or someone making her feel that way. She was completely fine in calling a family member to come get her. _Nicole is just trying to help. Why did I have to be rude about her offer? It’s not a bad one. I just don’t like feeling useless._

Nicole watched her girlfriend pace back and forth. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to approach her or let her try and calm down first. Going with the second option she stayed behind the couch. “Waverly, I know your fully capable of doing a lot of things. I’m just trying to help and I like having you here. If it means not having my truck and sleeping at work for a few days just so you have vehicle to go home with tomorrow, then fine.”

“But why, Nicole?” Waverly whispered. Not trusting her voice anymore. She didn’t want to yell at the redhead but how she felt at that very moment, the anger was certainly there.

The Captain walked over to Waverly and stopped her. She took the brunettes hands in hers and interlaced their fingers. _I love you that’s why._ “Because I care about you. A lot. Baby, you don’t have to take my offer. I just want to make it easier for you knowing you have shit ton on your plate right now. I can see by the way you reacted that it hit some type of nerve. I’m gonna go with my gut feeling here and take a guess.” Nicole took a moment to gather her thoughts. “I would never treat you like you cant do something. I’ve seen you pin down a six foot three drunk man. Hell, I watched you kick Wynonna’s ass before. You can do anything you put your mind to and don’t let me or anyone get in your way, okay.” Waverly nodded. “So you want to tell me why my offer upset you?”

Waverly spent the better part of ten minutes or so explaining why it bothered her so much. For her, it was hard to accept peoples help. Everyone she knew would always end up doing things for her with out even asking if she needed the help in the first place. It was nice at first, but then people began to think she couldn’t handle certain tasks. They started treating her like a kid and over time instead of it getting better, it only got worst. Nobody wanted to accept the fact she was growing up. All they saw was the little girl that everyone grew to love, but never accepted that now, at the age of twenty-one, she was capable to doing everything on her own. The Captain understood. She grew up to fast while Waverly couldn’t grow up fast enough.

A couple of hours later, Waverly finally accepted Nicole’s offer. She thought about having Nicole bring her back to Shorty’s so she could pick up her Jeep and then drive back to the Captain’s house, but then realized it seemed a little ridiculous. Even though her girlfriend was completely fine in doing so.

For the rest of day they finished baking. To try and make light of the day, Nicole pulled Waverly into her and began dancing to one of the slow songs that had started playing. The brunette found it utterly romantic and loved every minute of it. They went back to relaxing on the couch after dinner and watched a couple of more movies before heading to bed. That night, Nicole and Waverly fell into bed making up for the tension that they had caused on one another.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone asked to see domestic wayhaught and I just couldn’t resist. Hope you guys liked it.


	15. Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oops!! *thump* first shoe drop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy 5,617 words of what I feel is jaw dropping moments.

_ Wednesday, November 16, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 5:59 p.m. (EST) _

Over the next few days, Waverly tried her best at suppressing her feelings. During work and at the university, she would do the whole ‘smile and wave’. It was easier than letting her feelings get the best of her. It wasn’t like anyone noticed anyways. Well, Nicole and Doc did. When she went to the café, Doc noticed how her smile didn’t reach her eyes like it normally would. He actually asked ‘does it pertain to a particular redhead?’ Of course the mentioning of her Captain was when her real genuine smile came out. Doc couldn’t help but laugh.

That’s when he asked if anything else was bothering her to make her smile falter in such a way. It was easier to just say family issues. Wasn’t like she was lying about it. She just didn’t want a lot of people knowing her problems. Even if it was, Doc Holliday. He probably already knew anyways. She found out that Wynonna and the café owner had been seeing each other. According to her sister, it wasn’t romantic because she didn’t do relationships. Waverly didn’t believe her though. The way her sister talked about him and was spending more time at the café was reason enough to think otherwise.

She liked him. Doc was a decent guy. From the sounds of things, he treated her sister right. Which was the main objective. It didn’t help that Wynonna might have threaten him with her gun. It also didn’t help that Waverly did the same thing but with her sawed off shotgun. Needless to say, he knew the Earp sisters meant business.

College was now done for the year which meant Waverly was one semester closer to getting her degree. Sadly it also meant that Willa was even closer to coming home. The youngest Earp still didn’t know what the dates were yet. She really didn’t want to know but in hind sight, knowing meant she knew when her and Nicole would be going on vacation. That was the one thing she was looking forward to most. Of course she’d have to talk to Wynonna to get her vacation rolling. Along with picking a location to go too.

Work started thirty minutes later than normal for the brunette. She had to go and picked up her girlfriend from base. Waverly had planned to pick her up last night but didn’t get back to town until almost ten and was to tired. She almost couldn’t make it home for how exhausted she felt. Nicole understood though. Not wanting the shorter woman to over do it.

Happy hour was bustling. Shorty, Gus and Waverly were constantly moving. Between food orders and drink refills, there was no time to stop. Not even for a two second breather. Shorty’s was so busy that both Wynonna and Nicole helped out. The middle Earp stayed behind the bar whilst the redhead helped Gus out with the food orders.

Winding down from what seemed like a never ending happy hour, Wynonna and Nicole grabbed the first empty table that became available, which happened to be one of the back tables next to the wall. The darker brunette had strike up a conversation with Doc, who had joined them. With the two of them talking and not any paying attention to her, the Captain decided to practice playing darts. She got up from the table and was about to push in her chair.

_Ping!_

The redhead took out her phone knowing that the sound meant she had an email. When she opened the app, she froze. Staring at the new email that had came in. It had been months since getting a email from this person. She hesitated but opened it anyways.

+++

Email:

From: Webster, Liam <L.Webster@gmail.com>

To: Haught, Nicole <HaughtDamn.90@ymail.com>

Subject: Life and Death!

Nicole,

I’ve been informed that your father has started up another search. Someone brought up the military and now he’s doing everything he can to search the bases now too. I know I probably shouldn’t tell you who’s been giving me this information but I feel that it is important now. Over the last eight years, it has been your mother. She fears for you. Nicholas is at his ends and if he finds you, the results will be fatal. You are my only niece and I don’t want to see anything bad happen to you. Same as your mother. Which is why she been updating me. She loves you so much, Nicole. I wish I knew the full details of this company to make your father this crazy, but I know its safer for me to be oblivious. Where ever you are, run. Please. They mustn’t find you. Ever. If you are in the military, I hope to god that you’re not stationed in the states. I’ll let you know as soon as possible when this search is called off, but until then, lay low and keep moving. I love you, Nicole. Please be careful.

Love,  
Uncle Liam

+++

Nicole’s breathing began to become erotic. Her chest was rising and falling at alarming pace. She was filled with anger and was upset at the same time. _How could she care about me and still stay with that man! How can I believe that she still loves me! She never tried to keep me away from that stupid game! Oh god! How can I be on the move again? He cant find me. He cant find out about Waverly! Waverly!_

The Captain pocketed her phone and gripped the top of the chair. Her fingers turning white in the process. The thought of her father finding her girlfriend was the final hit. She was no longer upset. Nicole didn’t want to imagine what would happen if her father got hold of her. _If he touches her.._

Nicole snapped. The chair she was holding was thrown against the wall. Shattering into pieces and falling to the floor. The saloon became quiet. Doc and Wynonna just stared at the redhead. Not knowing what had caused the uproar in the woman. The thing they knew the table they were sitting at was being flipped over. Enough force that it also hit the wall. Behind the bar, Waverly stood in shock. Before anyone could make any movement, Nicole stormed out of the bar.

“Nicole!”

  
**____________________**

 

_ Wednesday, November 16, 2016 ~ Main Street; Purgatory, Maine — 6:11 p.m. (EST) _

The entire bar remained silent. The sound of the door being slammed shut and Waverly yelling echoed off the walls. The sudden outburst worried her. She glanced over at where Nicole threw the chair and table. Blinking. _What happened?_ She didn’t even think twice before bolting for the door.

Once outside, Waverly scanned the street. Spotting her girlfriend and what she saw happening, scared her. Nicole was pacing back and forth. The Captain’s fists were clenching so tight that the brunette believed her nails were probably breaking skin. She could see the anger written all over the redheads face.

“Cole don’t!”

Nicole punched the side of her truck. Again and again. The dent only getting worst and her punches getting harder by the second. The Captain never heard the shorter woman yelling at her.

“Nicole stop!” Waverly ran to her Captain. Desperately hoping that what she was about to do, wouldn’t end badly for her. As she came up behind Nicole, she stopped. “Baby.. baby please stop.” This time the brunette grabbed her girlfriends upper arms and attempted to pulled her into her.

Nicole broke free and continued to punched her truck. “You’ll. Never. Find. Me.” The next punch she threw went through passenger side window. Shattering the glass.

“Nicole!” This time Waverly used all her strength and pulled her Captain arms down and away from the truck. Nicole thrashed against her. Trying to break free. “Cole, listen to me. What ever it is, you’re fine. I’m here.” She said. Keeping her voice as calm as possible. After a few tries of breaking out of the brunettes hold, the taller woman began to settle.

“I-I’m not.. fine.” The adrenaline high that the redhead was on started to fade and her breathing began to speed up. Her legs gave out and she sank to the ground. Waverly went down with her. Not losing the vice grip on Nicoles arms.

Waverly picked up on it instantly and pulled Nicole into her. “Try and take a deep breath with me okay, Cole” The Captain nodded. “Deep breath in.. and out. In.. and out. That’s it baby.” The brunette looked down her girlfriends hands. “Oh god.” She whispered.

Streams of blood was rolling down Nicole’s right forearm. With what little light that came from the street light above, Waverly saw that the blood was coming from the redheads knuckles. She looked a little closer and saw a couple pieces of glass sticking out.

Nicole’s breathing came back to normal and that’s when she began to feel the pain in her hands. “Shit this hurts like hell!” Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Her body started to shake as she cried harder.

“I’ve got you, baby. We need to bring you-”

“Babygirl, What on earth-” Wynonna came out of Shorty’s and stopped short. She looked at her sister then to Nicole. All she saw was blood dripping down her friends arms and a small pool forming in front of her.

“Wynonna, go grab the first aid kit, rags, a bag of ice and my purse! Meet me at my Jeep!” Waverly yelled. Trying her best at staying calm.

Wynonna stood still for a second. Trying to process what was going on. She glanced back at her sister again and saw the pleading look on her face. That prompted her to turn around and run into Shorty’s. Grabbing everything Waverly had asked for, plus grabbing their coats.

The brunette started to shift her weight around so she could get up. Encouraging Nicole to do the same. Together, they got up slowly and made their way onto their feet. Waverly took the redheads arms and pulled her towards her Jeep. She continued to speak soft and calmly, making sure to not stir up whatever emotions were running through her girlfriend. She had no idea what made her Captain snap like that, but she undoubtedly didn’t want to be on the receiving end of it.

About the time Waverly and Nicole made it to the Jeep, Wynonna was running towards them with her arms full. The youngest Earp reluctantly left her girlfriends side to get her purse and grab her keys to unlock the car. After doing so, she helped Nicole get into the passenger seat and began lightly bandaging the hand that was still bleeding. Thankfully for how cold it was outside, the hand that had glass in it, wasn’t bleeding as badly anymore. The cold air basically freezing the warm blood to the redheads knuckles.

Wynonna started the Jeep while Waverly worked on the Captain’s hands. She was nervous and scared for her friend. She had never seen her act that way. Never once did Nicole give her that feeling that she might be violent. _What if she takes her anger out on Waverly? What if she already has and Waverly is just good at hiding the bruises?_ She feared the worst for her sister. She watched her little sister close the door and round the car.

“Waves, what happened?” The middle Earps voice was laced with concern.

“I honestly don’t know but I need to bring her to the hospital. There’s still glass in her hand. Make sure no one steals her truck and when you got time, run over to her place and feed CJ. Spare key is under the doormat.” Waverly said quickly.

Wynonna gently grabbed the shorter woman by the arm. “You’d tell me if she ever hurt you, right?”

“Nonna, what ever Nicole saw on her phone obviously made her upset to the breaking point.” Waverly whispered so only her sister could hear her. Wynonna just stared at her. Not accepting the reason she just gave. “Look, Nicole would **never** hurt me, okay. She’s literally the sweetest woman I’ve ever met. Now, thank you for getting me everything and I’ll let know how everything goes.” Waverly jumped into the Jeep and quickly drove towards hospital.

 

**____________________**

 

_ Thursday, November 17, 2016 ~ Waverly’s Apartment; Purgatory, Maine — 8:00 a.m. (EST) _

Once getting to the hospital, Nicole was surprisingly brought right in. Then again, it was a military establishment and only military related members, could go there. They did x-rays on both of her hands just in case. Her left hand was fine, besides some scrapes and bruises. Her right hand though, the second and third set of knuckles were broken. Some of the glass from the window went straight through her hand and dislocated some of the bones. The Captain ended up needing surgery to take out the glass and to also fix and reconstruct the bone fragments.

When Nicole was in recovery, one of the nurses came out to inform Waverly that the surgery went well and that her hand was now in a cast. Usually they didn’t let non-family members go into the recovery rooms but sense the Captain had no family in the area and had per requested for the brunette to be in there, they allowed it. While she was waking up from the anesthesia, the redhead kept saying _‘I wont let you find me.’_ Waverly had no idea what that meant but she was going to find out even if it meant losing her girlfriend in the process.

Nicole got put on sick leave for two weeks. Just so her left hand could properly heal before going back to work. She would have to go back to the doctors in a month to take the cast off her right hand. Doctors informed the Captain that knuckles usually take three weeks to heal but for good measure they wanted to keep the cast on for an extra week.

After getting released, Waverly brought Nicole back to her place. She had texted Wynonna as well, to let her know that everything was fine and that they were heading back to the apartment. It wasn’t the closest option she had. She knew her Captain’s house was twenty minutes from the hospital but it was easier to just go back her apartment knowing the truck was there and they could bring it to a shop first thing in the morning.

Having a cast on one hand and the other one bandaged up, it was a little difficult for Nicole to get dressed. She was also exhausted from the medication that she was given so Waverly helped her get undressed and into pajamas. The Captain didn’t question her girlfriend on why some her clothes were at the shorter woman’s apartment but appreciated it none the less.

By the time the brunette got done getting ready for bed herself, Nicole was fast asleep. She crawled into bed next to her as close as she could, without bothering her right hand. Waverly stayed awake for a little bit. Trying to figure out how to get her Captain to open up. Before long, she was asleep herself.

Waverly was the first one to wake up. To her, she wasn’t the least bit surprised. She got out of bed and went to check her phone. Once she unlocked it, she realized it wasn’t her phone at all. Her and Nicole had the same cellphone, the same color phone case, same lock screen picture and interesting enough, the same passcode. Which was the month and day they starting dating.

Looking down at the phone and the application that was still open, Waverly stared, wide eyed at an email. _Life and death. Fatal? Run? Mustn’t find you? Nicole kept saying something about not letting him find her. Was she talking about her father? What hell does your family do, Cole?_ She heard movement from the bed and glanced over. Only to find her girlfriend staring at her.

“What is this, Cole?” The brunette breathed out.

“Wave, is that my phone?” Nicole’s face turning white as a ghost as she realized what Waverly was looking at. “Give me my phone, Waverly.” She said. Her voice shaky.

“Why are you running from your father, Nicole? And why, if he finds you, it could be fatal?” Waverly asked sternly.

“Waverly, please give me my phone.” Nicole got out of bed and walked over to the shorter woman.

“Like hell, am I giving this to you.” Waverly pulled her hand that held the phone away from the redhead.

“Waverly.” The Captain warned her.

“No Nicole. Not until you tell me why your uncle is warning you about another search for you. What does that even mean? Why would your father is even be look-.”

The redhead turned around and took a couple of steps. “Because my father wants me dead!” Nicole yelled. “He hates me because I didn’t want any part of his stupid game.”

“Game? What kind of game gets you killed?” The youngest Earp was confused.

“The kind you play with the mob.” The Captain continued to yell.

Waverly froze. _The mob? What is she talking about?_ “Cole.” She soften her voice. “Help me understand this because quite frankly, it’s scaring me. You freaked out last night, all because of this email and now, you can’t even look at me. Just tell me what’s going on. Let me in. Let me help you.”

Nicole sat on the edge bed. Her head hanging low. “Once I tell you, you’ll never look at me the same way. You wont even want to be with me anymore.” She whispered.

The brunette walked over to her girlfriend and kneeled in front of her. She put the phone down on the bed and lightly placed her hand on top of Nicole’s. “Whatever it is, I can tell you right now. It wont scare me away, if that’s what you think will happen.. You have to trust this, Cole. Trust us. Trust me. Cause I can assure you that I’m not going anyway, baby.”

“You say that now, but after you know about my past and what I’ve done-”

The shorter woman cupped her Captains cheeks and lifted her face up so she could look her in the eye. “I will still love you.” Waverly said with conviction.

Nicole face bloomed into wide dimpled smile. She couldn’t believe that the woman in front of her, the one that she felt the same for, had just said those words to her. She captured her lips with her own and pour every once of love into it. Snaking her arms around the brunettes waist and pulling her girlfriend into her. “I love you too, Waves.” She said against Waverly’s lips. She pulled back and stared at the woman before her. “I’ll tell you. Just give me a minute, okay?”

Waverly nodded and moved to sit next to the redhead. She watched Nicole take some deep breaths. The Captain got up, went into the bathroom to take some Tylenol for the pain. She brushed her teeth directly after. Trying to gain the confidence she needs to finally let Waverly into the past that she had been running away from for so long. I can do this. She needs to know or else I could lose her forever. She went back to the bed and sat next to her girlfriend again. Nicole took in one more deep breath before starting.

“My family is a part of a mob. My father is the boss. Grandfather use to be up until he passed away a few months ago. It started back in the nineteen-twenties with my great grandfather, Nicholas Haught Senior. He joined the mob because they offered him money so he could provide for his family. It seemed like a great deal, you know. From what I’ve been told, Senior enjoyed doing what he did. Which is why the originally Boss appointed him as the next one.

“Grandpa Junior joined, as what I know it as, the game, when he was in his twenties. He enjoyed it just as much as his father did. My father on the other hand, he didn’t just enjoy it, he lived for it. All of them are the same though. Money hungry. Love having the feeling of power behind them. Knowing that what they say, goes. No one questions them because if they did, they could easily lose their life for it. Anyone who crossed them, did.

“The game is just that. Doing illegal things. Like killing people for sport, crossing the border with millions of dollars worth in drugs and making sure you don’t get caught. It’s all about the adrenaline that goes with it. That’s what makes it fun. Riveting. Making you want more.

“It’s a business though. They do drug trafficking with Mexico. Have been for years. Mainly marijuana. Sometimes it’s heroin and other times its cocaine. They sell the drugs all over Texas. Clients who don’t up hold their end of the bargain, get shot. And I don’t mean, shoot to wound. I mean shoot to kill.

“Those defense classes I took as a kid. It wasn’t because I wanted to take them. I was forced to do it. I was brought to a gun range for the first time at the age of four. I had no idea why I was firing a gun so young, but again, I forced to do it. I had no say when it came to my father. My mother never did anything either. She stayed on the sidelines. Always on the outside looking in. I think its because she’s afraid of my father. I don’t blame her though. He worst than Junior and Senior combined.

“When I was sixteen, when my PTSD began, I was introduced to the game....”

 

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, April 9, 2006 ~ Haught’s Residence; Houston, Texas — 3:20 p.m. (CT)_

Sixteen year old Nicole and one of the employees name, Vincent, were practicing their fighting skills. They were doing more of a grappling match than anything else. They were outside so they didn’t break any of the furniture. It had happened the last time the teenager dueled with one of the employees. Her mother wasn’t exactly happy about it and neither was her father. So she promised to practice outside or go to the gym for now on.

Half hour into the match, the teenager’s father came home. A man she had never seen before stepped out of the car and starting to walk towards her house. Vincent greeted the older man, out of respect. Also knowing that he was the Boss’s son and could be punished if he didn’t show respect to the man that was to take over in the future.

“Nicole, come inside. You need to see what happens when people decide to betray our family.” Nicholas the Third said.

“Yes sir.” The teenager didn’t noticed the small gun that was pressed into the mans back. Forcing him inside the house.

Nicole stood behind the couch next to Vincent. Who held a strange smirk on his face. She had no idea what was about to happen but when it came to her father, she knew it wasn’t going to be good. Again, the teenager didn’t see her father pocket the gun he held.

The man stood in the middle of the living room. Bracing himself for what’s to come. He blinked and Nicholas’s right fist connected with his jaw. Nicole gasped at what her father just did but didn’t dare to move. Her father’s left fist connected to the other side of the mans jaw. Causing him to stumble back. His bottom lip was spilt in two and a small amount of blood was oozing out of it.

By the the time the guy was standing upright again, Nicholas’s fist was connecting to his nose. Nicole could hear the bone cracking. She winced when her father punched the man again. Giving him a black eye. Blood was flowing out of younger mans nose and down his chin. Amazingly still standing up straight.

The next punch Nicholas threw was to the mans stomach. He punched so hard that it cracked some of his ribs and the man started spitting up blood. A large portion of floor that was brown in color, now turning red. It was cruel and disgusting to watch but Nicole knew she couldn’t turn away. If she had, Vincent would just turn her back around and hold her still. Forcing her to watch the scene unfold.

One last blow to the man face and he was falling backwards to the floor. His body limp and covered in blood. Vincent took the initiative and walked around the couch. Picking up the unconscious man and bringing him down to the basement. Nicholas followed behind him.

“Nicole, sweetheart. Come down with us. You’re going to learn a very important life lesson.”

“Yes sir.”

The teenager followed her father down the stairs. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, the younger man was tied to a chair. His head hanging down his body due to him still being unconscious. Nicole was still so confused. Why was he beaten to bloody pulp? Why is he tied to a chair? It’s not like he’s going anywhere soon.

Minutes past by and the man tied down finally awakes. He struggles to become free but the ropes are tied so tight that the skin that is bare on the rope, get burned. He begins to plead with her father but the words go unnoticed.

“Take this.” Nicholas handed his daughter the gun that he had pocketed earlier.

“Sir?” The teenager replied nervously.

“Take this and shoot him.”

“But why sir? Don’t you think he’s suffered enough?” Nicole asked.

“He stole from us, Nicole. Multiple times. People who steal from us, get punished and his punishment is death. Now, shoot him.” Her father sternly said.

Nicholas put the gun in the girl’s hand. Pulling her towards him so she was in front of man. Giving her a direct shot. She lifted the gun and pointed it at the mans head. Nicole paused. She didn’t want to do it. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

“Shoot him!” Nicholas yelled.

_P-Taff!_

Nicole opened her eyes and sight before her, made her stomach turn. The man’s head was tilted back and a bullet hole in his forehead with blood seeping out. The wall behind him had red blotches scattered all over the place. She dropped the gun from her hand and turned towards the wall. Any food that was in her system was now on the floor of the basement.

“Welcome to the game, Nicole.”

 

**____________________**

 

_Thursday, November 17, 2016 ~ Waverly’s Apartment; Purgatory, Maine — 8:26 a.m. (EST)_

Tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes were prominent on both women. Waverly held Nicole while she sobbed into her shoulder. The brunette rubbed her girlfriends back trying to relax her. She tried so hard to keep her own tears at bay, but it was no use. The woman she loves, had just as hard as a childhood as she did.

“I never fired the gun. My finger was on the trigger but I never pulled it.” Nicole said. Her voice small. “My father pushed my finger down.”

“Nicole.” Waverly quietly said.

“Every time I was put in that situation, he always ended up pulling the trigger for me. I couldn’t tell anyone about it either.. it makes me as terrible as him.”

“No.” The brunette pulled away. “Now you listen to me, Nicole Haught.” Waverly cupped her Captain’s cheeks and waited for her eyes to meet hers. “You are not your father. From the sounds of him, he is cruel and heartless, in which you are not. You Nicole, are the sweetest, most loving and caring person I’ve ever met. You have always put my needs first before your own, no matter what the situation is. You put up with Wynonna’s constant puns when I know you hate it. Your always helping out in the bar when it gets to busy during happy hour. Baby, you even want to go on vacation with me just so I don’t have to put up with Willa. Would your father do any of those things?” Nicole shook her head. “Alright then. You baby, are nothing like him, okay.”

“You cant possibly be real.”

“I am real and I love you, Cole.” Waverly kissed Nicole and pulled her into a hug.

“I love you too, baby.”

They stayed in the embraced for a few minutes. Letting the remaining tears fall. It was a conversation that Nicole never thought she would have. It definitely wasn’t something she wanted to bring up quite yet but after last night and Waverly opening up her phone this morning, she really didn’t have much of a choice anymore. But after talking about it, she felt better. Lighter even. Knowing she didn’t have to hide or change subjects mid conversation.

The one thing that she wasn’t expecting though, the one that surprised her the most was that her girlfriend stayed. Waverly didn’t put blame on her for her actions as a teenager or hated her for it. Instead, the brunette stayed by her side and continued to love her. Love! Waverly Earp loves me! How the hell did I manage to get the most incredible woman in the world to fall in love in? I will probably never understand that but god do I love her even more.

“Nicole?” Waverly pulled back again. “There’s one thing I don’t understand about all this.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve been in the Marines for eight years now so why all of a sudden are they now just thinking about this?”

“To be honest, I’m not completely sure but if I had to take a guess, it would have something to do with my grandfather.” Waverly gave her a puzzled look. “Junior created this pact where all military members were not to be associated with. Business or other wise. I guess at some point, my grandfather worked with a soldier and heard the war stories. They were gruesome and horrifying and ironically enough, Junior didn’t want to add to the pain of those who were serving. Especially when a lot of customers usually ended up dead because they got stupid and greedy. When I found out about the pact, I knew that was my way out, which is also why I joined. I knew Junior would never do a search through the military. Now that he’s gone and my father doesn’t give a shit about it, it was only a matter of time before some mentioned it.”

“So what are going to do, Nicole?” Waverly stood up. Her back facing Nicole and her voice low. She didn’t really want to know the answer. She had a feeling as to what her girlfriend might say and just the thought of it put her on the brink of tears.

“Baby, look at me.”

“I cant.” Waverly whispered. “If I look at you, you’ll tell me what I don’t want to hear. I don’t want to lose you, Nicole.” The tears she was desperately trying to fight back, broke through.

“You’re not going to, Waves.” Nicole got up from the bed and walked over to Waverly. She turned the shorter woman towards her. Noticing the tears immediately. “Baby.. Listen to me.” She continued before hazel eyes met her brown ones. “I’m not leaving. Technically I cant because of the military, but even if I could, I wont. I’m tired of running.. if I run now, I’d be leaving the greatest thing that has ever happen to me and I don’t want to lose that.”

“Calamity should feel so special.” The brunette tried to make light of the situation.

The Captain put her casted hand under her girlfriends chin and lifted her head. Wincing at the slight pain that it had caused. “I’m being serious, Waverly. You’re everything to me and I’d be an idiot to leave you behind. Which is why I’m done running.”

Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole’s waist and leaned her body into her girlfriend. The redhead put her arms around the shorter woman’s shoulders and pulled her in closer.

“So what are you going to do now?” Waverly asked again.

Nicole thought about it. There was different options as to what she could do. But being in the military put a damper on a lot of those. She could dye her hair but on the flip side, the gate guards or military police could think she was trying to disguise herself, which would be the case, but it wouldn’t look good on military grounds. Sadly, being a flaming redhead, it would be noticeable for her to go from red to another natural hair color. The other problem she could easily have would be the guards and MP’s thinking that her ID didn’t belong to her, which again could cause a lot of issues for her. Needless to say, dying her hair was her last option.

“For now, I’ll just have to lay low. Pay attention more. People who are new to the area and become invested in me, more so than usual, that’s when I have to take action. My father is going to try to out smart me. I know he will. But right now, all I can do is wait and hope for the best.”


	16. Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Christmas Day and it may or not go as planned. Also Wynonna is being Wynonna, very protective sister who has a little chat with Nicole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the day late update. Hope this chapter makes up for it.

_Sunday, December 25, 2016 ~ McCready’s Ranch; Purgatory, Maine — 10:30 a.m. (EST)_

A month had gone by since Nicole had told Waverly about her family secret. She never thought that it was possibly to love her girlfriend anymore than she did but was proven wrong. The brunette had accepted her and still told her that she was in love with her. Never once, did the Captain think she’d ever feel that way. To know what its like to love and be loved but then she met Waverly and everything changed.

They both had there faults and weaknesses but together they made each other stronger. During Nicole’s two weeks of sick leave, the two were inseparable. It kinda didn’t help when the Captains truck was in the shop getting fix and also needed help with certain tasks while, at least her left hand was still bandaged.

Even though they were inseparable, there was still some tension between them. Nicole had held back some information about the business. Not knowing how Waverly would take it if she knew her girlfriend was suppose to take over for her father or the real reason why no one in Texas was taking action. She really didn’t want that to be the icing on the cake and to have the brunette actually break up with her. Knowing her family was extremely dangerous, she feared Waverly wouldn’t be able to handle that.

Boy was she wrong. After, finally, admitting the whole truth about her family, going as far as the actual businesses that isn’t behind closed doors, Nicole found out that Waverly still wasn’t afraid of her. It was quite the opposite. The brunette was afraid though. She was afraid for her and losing her. Never once did she fear her Captain. Not even when watching her girlfriend beat the shit out of truck.

After Nicole had fully opened up to Waverly, they felt like their relationship was indestructible. There was no more secrets and ugly family pasts getting in the way. They didn’t have to hide who they were anymore or try to divert conversations. Sure, there was some arguments between them but they worked them out together. Even if some did take longer to work out due to the fact that they’re both headstrong and hate being proven wrong.

During the month, the two stayed at Nicole’s place. Throughout that time, Waverly’s stuff was slowly graduating its way into the redheads house. It felt normal though. To be seeing the younger Earps stuff around the house, plus waking up every morning next to the woman she loves and know that the last thing she sees before going to sleep, is her girl snuggled up next to her.

Wynonna thought they were moving a little fast but then again, she thought it was just her protective streak kicking in. Waverly had to remind her sister that she was only staying with Nicole until her left hand got better and she had a vehicle to use. The truck took a couple of days to get fixed and the Captain’s hand was indeed healed after two weeks. Yet, she was still staying with her. Even after the cast had been taken off. The younger Earp didn’t really want to leave and it wasn’t like her girlfriend told her she had to anyways. It was the elephant in the room, but neither of them dared to approach the subject.

Thanksgiving had come and gone. It was tradition to go the McCready’s ranch. Well, not really tradition when that was only place big enough to hold everyone. Before Wynonna had come home, it was always just Waverly, Curtis, Gus and Shorty. This year, there was three more people added to list. This thanksgiving, Wynonna had join with Doc as a plus one and Waverly brought Nicole with her. Overall, the day was filled with joy and laughter.

Throughout the first couple of weeks of December, the ranch home was decorated in lights and some lawn decor. When looking for decoration ideas, Nicole thought it would be fun to have the Grinch look like its stole the Christmas lights. It was minimal work but it was also gave the full Christmas spirit affect. Curtis jumped on the idea. He liked the whole minimal work idea. Waverly on the other hand, thought it was a cute idea but she definitely wanted more than just a string of lights and a grinch standing at the end of the house, holding a bag.

Waverly also thought it was a good idea to recruit Nicole to help put up decorations. Gus and Curtis that it was an amazing offer. It meant they didn’t have to climb the ladder out in the cold. Gus looked at the Captain, patted her cheek and told her ‘You’re young. You’ll adjust,’ and went about finding the boxes in the attic that held all the Christmas decor. Her niece and her husband busted out laughing at the ridiculous pout the redhead had. To which the brunette took it upon herself to kiss it away and offer her help since Nicole only had one hand to work with still.

Christmas Day finally arrived and everyone was getting anxious. Gus and Curtis were getting excited to see Willa, whom they hadn’t seen in three years. Wynonna was just as excited to see her big sister. Nicole and Waverly on the other hand, were like the energizer bunny and filled with excitement and couldn’t wait to leave for their vacation.

No one knew where they were going. Even Waverly didn’t know. She had asked Nicole to pick a location and keep it a surprise. To use it as a Christmas gift. Of course the redhead agreed. What the shorter woman didn’t know, was that she already had a Christmas gift in mind. She just had to make it and some how get it her place or stash it at someone else’s. It might of been small gift but the brunette could find a needle in haystack so hiding anything in her own home was no use.

Waverly unfortunately couldn’t think of what to get her girlfriend. What helped her was a trip to the mall. Nicole eyeing a certain pair of pearl earrings helped. Well that and some lingerie, but only one of them could be given out during the gift exchange at her aunt and uncles. The lingerie was definitely a surprise for when they were on vacation.

The two girls arrived at the ranch early to help out with cooking or anything for that matter. There was fresh snow on the ground. Making it a little harder to drive on the back roads. So showing up early to Gus and Curtis’s place was the smarter option. She was also able to plow their driveway for them. About two hours later, Wynonna had showed up.

“Everything smells mighty fine in here.” Doc said when he entered the house.

“Kiss ass.” Wynonna mumbled to herself.

Wynonna being, well Wynonna. Walked straight into the living room and flopped down onto the couch. Not even caring about the fact that Nicole was sitting at the other end of it, with Waverly in her lap. They were in the middle of a kiss when the older Earp disrupted them. The both of them looked at each other then started glaring at the darker brunette.

“Seriously Nonna? We’re sitting here too you know.” Waverly said. A little annoyed at her older sister.

“Yeah well, while you two are making ‘The Notebook’ look bleak, I’m laying here until the food is ready or we start exchanging gifts. Which ever comes first.”

“Unbelievable.” Waverly whispered loud enough for Nicole to hear, who lightly laughed as well. She shook her head at her ridiculous sister.

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, December 25, 2016 ~ McCready’s Ranch; Purgatory, Maine — 11:52 a.m. (EST)_

After Shorty had arrived at the ranch, everyone began to settle into the living room. Most of the food was prepared and ready to be cooked. Small appetizers were set around the table until the main chores was ready to be served. Waverly had helped out Gus the most in the kitchen. Nicole tried to help but got shooed out. The redhead was told that she had helped out enough around the ranch for the past month that she should just relax for once.

Did Nicole actually listen to them? No, of course not. The Captain put on her coat and went outside to help Curtis out in the barn. She truly hated sitting still. Unless she was cuddling with her girlfriend. Than being in one place for long periods of time was okay for her. Even then, the two of them ended up doing something. Most of the time it was the redhead trying to be intimate with Waverly who sadly had to decline until at least her left hand was healed. Nicole tried to convince her that there were others ways to satisfy her but the brunette would just smirked at her and say ‘patience is a virtue, love.’ That comment always got a groan of annoyance from the older woman.

Now that everyone was sitting in the living room, they were ready to give out presents. Deciding that it would be cheaper, they all thought it was best to do couple’s gifts. Even if Doc and Wynonna weren’t ‘labeling’ their relationship yet, they did agree to it knowing it was cheaper than the both of buying gifts for everyone.

All the gifts were exchanged between everyone. Minus Nicole’s gift to Waverly. She wasn’t sure on giving it to her at the ranch or back at her house. It was a gift that she knew her girlfriend would like but wasn’t sure how the rest of the younger woman’s family would take it. Mainly Wynonna. She knew how the middle Earp wasn’t keen on their relationship. Especially with her younger sister staying at her house all the time now. But that didn’t stop the brunette from going over to her place every day after work.

Deciding to bite the bullet, Nicole grabbed the gift that she had put on the other side of the couch. Where her girlfriend wasn’t able to see it. “This is for you.”

“Nicole, I told you not to get me anything.” Waverly said as she took the gift from her Captain.

“I know. But I knew you had gotten me a present and it would of felt weird not giving you something in return today.”

Waverly opened the gift bag and took out the tissue paper. A surprised gasp fell from the brunettes lips along with mocked hurt expression. “You went to Build-a-Bear without me!” She took out the medium sized bear and began to lightly laugh at the clothing it was wearing.

“Is that bear seriously wearing camo’s?” Wynonna quipped.

“From the looks of it its not the only thing it’s wearing.” Shorty was sitting next to Waverly and pointed out the silver chain that was hidden under the clothing.

The brunette then noticed it and gently pulled on the necklace. Revealing a set of dog tags with pink silencers. Waverly looked over at Nicole with a questioning look whilst raising her hand to feel for the set of dog tags that was hanging around her neck.

“Look at the tags. They’re not the same as those.” The Captain gestured to Waverly’s neck.

“What’s written on them, Darling?” Gus asked.

The youngest Earp picked up the tags and began to read them. The first tag read:

_Waverly Earp_  
_ &_

_Nicole Haught_  
_9/24/2016_

The second one read:

_I Love You_  
_11/17/2016_

“Since you started wearing mine, I thought maybe you’d like your own pair but with something more meaning to it than my info on it.” Nicole sheepishly said.

“What do the dates mean?” Doc asked.

“The day we officially started dating and the first time we said ‘I love you’ to each other.” Waverly answered. She turned to Nicole and kissed her lips. “I love them and I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

“Blech” Wynonna murmured. Earning a tap to the back of her head from Gus.

Waverly went to put the tissue paper back into the bag when she noticed a small blue box with white ribbon wrapped around it, in the bottom of the bag. She took a quick glance over at he girlfriend and reached into the bag to grab the box. The shorter woman didn’t noticed Nicole worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she stuck her hand in the bag.

Slowly undoing the ribbon and opening the box, she stared at a small gold object, nestled a top of white styrofoam. Finally Waverly looked back at Nicole, trying to figure out what exactly the object meant. Before she could even ask her question, Wynonna swiped the box from her.

“Wynonna give that back!” Waverly tried retrieving her gift back.

“Why’d you give my sister a key for a gift, huh? You asking her to move in with you?” The darker brunette chuckled. Thinking it was a ridiculous idea. She looked over at Nicole and saw that her face was almost as red as her hair.

At this point, Waverly watch her girlfriend open and close her mouth a couple of times. Trying to figure out how to respond to the middle Earp. She was curious as to what the redhead might say. Her heart starting beating faster at the thought of the idea. The brunette didn’t tell Nicole that was what she wanted. To move in with her. The thought of going back to her apartment made her uneasy. She always had a hard time going to sleep while Shorty’s was open whenever her shift ended at seven. She also would have a hard time working on homework due to all the patrons being loud or because someone started a bar fight. The main reason though, the one that made feel the most uneasy, was being in her apartment alone. Waverly had gotten so used to being around her girlfriend and Calamity Jane that going back to live above the bar just didn’t feel right anymore. So she hoped Nicole would ask her to move in instead of just assuming that she could because she was already staying there.

“Cole?” Waverly whispered. Hoping Nicole heard her. She reached back over to Wynonna and was able to take back the box and the key.

“Um.. I. Uh. Yea.” Nicole stammered. She shook her head and tried again. “I want you to move in.. with me. Most of your things are already there and I love coming home to you.” She explained.

The shorter woman hugged her girlfriend in a tight embraced. She pulled back enough to kiss her and mumbled ‘Yes’ against her lips. Nicole couldn’t help but smile. The same smile that was always reserved for Waverly and Waverly only. She didn’t care that she probably smiling like an idiot. The woman she loves was officially moving in with her.

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, December 25, 2016 ~ McCready’s Ranch; Purgatory, Maine — 5:47 p.m. (EST)_

Christmas dinner was ready and was being set on the table. Nicole was able to convince Waverly to finally let her help in the kitchen. The only way she was able to do so, was Gus deciding to take a break from cooking.

Everyone gathered into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Plates began to fill and conversations followed soon after. There was a bit of tension between Wynonna, Waverly and Nicole. Only because the darker brunette wasn’t thrilled about her little sister going to live with the Captain. She couldn’t really explain why it bothered her so much but it did. She wanted to be happy for them but for some odd reason, ever since the redhead blew up at Shorty’s last month, she couldn’t knock the feeling that Nicole was somehow dangerous.

Ever since that night, Waverly had told her middle sister time and time again that there was nothing to worry about. Nicole had never hit her and never would either. The two Earp girls had gotten into a heated argument a week or so ago and the shorter girl was about ready to strip her clothes off just to prove that she didn’t have bruises on her body. She had to remind herself that that was a bad idea considering she had hickeys scattered up and down her entire body. No thanks to her girlfriend. Not that it matter to her. She loved having them but she also knew Wynonna would either find it extremely gross or try to take it out of context. Which was something she didn’t want happening.

It took about a week for Wynonna to get back on her sister’s good side again. She had to promise to stop asking and accusing Nicole of abusing her. Waverly admitted that even though she didn’t appreciate her older sister making such accusations about her girlfriend, she didn’t blame her for worrying either. The Captain did have quite the outburst to make anyone concern for her wellbeing. But that still didn’t mean she had to continuously ask if their relationship was a healthy one or not.

Wynonna still had her suspicions about Nicole but she made a promise and planned on keeping it. Even if it meant biting her tongue whenever she went over to the Captain’s house and noticed how she started acting differently after that night in Shorty’s. She noticed how the redhead would watch people more cautiously than what she used to. How she would avoid talking about herself or how she would make sure she was changed into regular clothing instead of staying in her BDU’s after she got out of work. The darker brunette had some idea’s but again, she wasn’t going to voice them.

Dinner was done and over with. Dishes were put in the sink and both Nicole and Waverly took it upon themselves to wash them for Gus. Especially for giving the younger Earp time off to go on vacation while Willa was visiting. The older woman understood, to a point, why her niece wanted to leave but more importantly, Gus wanted to give her the much needed time off to explore the world some.  
  
With the tv going and everyone having some type of conversation with who ever was next them, no one noticed a knock at the door. At least not the first time around. After the second set of knocking came, Curtis got up from the couch and answered the door. Waverly, who was in the kitchen getting a glass of water, came back into the the living room with her drink just as her uncle opened the door.

_*Ka-Shh!*_

“Waves, are you okay?” Nicole said. Coming up from behind her.

“Willa.” The brunette breathed.

“I’m back.” The oldest Earp chimed.

_This can’t be happening. This **can’t** be happening! This. Can. Not. Be. Happing!_ Waverly’s breathing began to speed up at the sight of her oldest sister. _She’s three days early! Why is she here?_

Wynonna practically ran to Willa, who was now stepping into the ranch home. She threw her arms around the older woman and hugged her. Ignoring the fact that Waverly was slowly going into an anxiety attack. “It’s so good to see you, sis.”

“Welcome back, Willa.” Curtis said while he also hugged the oldest Earp.

“Willa, I can’t believe you’re here early!” Gus came walking over and took her turn to give her niece a hug.

As Waverly watched the whole scene unfold, her breathing became worst. She heard Nicole’s voice but didn’t know what she was saying to her. For all she knew, the redhead could of been speaking to her in a foreign language that she didn’t know. The next thing she knew, Willa was looking at her. Giving her the same knowing look that she use to get years ago. The look on her oldest sister’s face and feeling of Nicole’s hand on her shoulder was last thing she remembered before everything went black.

“Waverly.”

**____________________**

 

_Sunday, December 25, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 7:12 p.m. (EST)_

Nicole sat on the edge of the bed watching her girlfriends chest rise and fall. The early arrival of Waverly’s older sister sent the youngest Earp into overdrive. She knew from the way the brunette acted and how her breathing changed, that it wasn’t going to end well. She figured that Waverly was just going to leave but her breathing from the anxiety attack was to much and caused her to faint.

Luckily Nicole was able to catch her in time before she completely fell to the floor. Everyone in the room looked at them with a curious stare as to what just happened and what would of caused Waverly to faint like that. The Captain knew immediately but didn’t voice it. She felt like it wasn’t her place to and it would of been awkward to do so anyways.

Knowing the best course of action was bringing her girlfriend home, Nicole brought Waverly out to her truck knowing the brunette wouldn’t want to be at ranch as long as Willa was there. She thought back to the small and yet very filled with tension, conversation she had with the Wynonna, who had help her bring Waverly to her truck.

\+ + +

“So do you think Waves fainted due to seeing Willa?” Wynonna asked as Nicole closed the passenger door.

“I don’t know.” The Captain lied. “Your guess is as good as mine but I’m going to bring her home just so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed here.”

“Yea that’s probably best. I’ll swing by her place later and check up on her to see how she’s doing.” Nicole gave her a confused look. “What? You said _her_ home.” Wynonna hissed.

“Wynonna, her home is my place now. She said yes to moving in with me, so that’s where she’ll be. _Home_ with me.” Nicole tried to say calmly.

“I can take of my own sister, Haught. And what makes you so sure she’ll want to be at your place and not her apartment?”

“Really Earp? When was the last time your sister stayed there?” The Captain watched Wynonna think for a moment and noticed how the realization hit her. “Exactly. Waverly hasn’t been there since I broke my hand and I know she’ll feel more comfortable at _our_ house verse the apartment that she’s moving out of. Not mention most of her stuff is already in _our_ house in the first place. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and grab our stuff and head home.”

Wynonna grabbed Nicole by the arm as the redhead attempted to step around her. “Just because you’re dating _my_ sister, doesn’t mean you know what’s best for her or know her better than I do. Now, I’ve kept my mouth shut about yours guy’s relationship but I’m done doing so. If I find out that you’re pressuring her into moving in with you or that you’re hurting her, I swear to god Haught, you’ll be staring down the barrel of Peacemaker.” The darker brunette taps the buntline special that is connected to her leg to empathize her point.

Nicole pulls her arm back and glares at Wynonna. “I would never hurt her or make her do something that she doesn’t want to do. I respect Waverly and her decisions. And just because we’ve only known each other for a few months doesn’t mean I don’t know her. The fact that you had to ask me why your sister fainted tells me that you don’t know her as well as you think you do.”

“And yet you don’t know why-” Nicole cuts her off.

“I know _exactly_ why actually. Now, like I said before, I need to get _my_ girlfriend home.”

\+ + +

Nicole shook her head trying to rid the memory of the conversation. She didn’t like be accused of something like that but yet in the back of her mind something told her that she would end up hurting Waverly. Not in a physical sense. At least she doesn’t think so. But with her fathers search going on and having to look over her shoulder every few seconds made her feel like her girlfriend would end up getting hurt. Not because she physically did it but in the same sense, it would be because of her. Because the brunette was dating her and if her Nicholas found out, it would definitely end badly for the both of them.

Closing her eyes for a moment and opening them back up, she saw Waverly looking up at her. It was the second time she opened her eyes since she woke up from fainting and fell back to sleep in the truck on there way home. Nicole had a feeling her girlfriend might of heard the conversation between her and Wynonna. It was something she knew she probably should bring up but just didn’t know how to. _How do you start a conversation with the woman I love, that her sister, who you thought was I friend, doesn’t trust me or approve of our relationship? The easy answer would be to not say anything but in the long run, I want her to know. At the same time I don’t want her to be mad at her sister._

“Hey cutie.” Nicole spoke softly while pulling herself from her thoughts.

“Hi. Sorry I fell back to sleep.” Waverly said hoarsely.

Nicole cupped one side of Waverly’s face and ran her thumb over her girlfriends cheek. “Don’t be. You were obviously tired, baby.”

“A little, yea. Also I’m sorry for what Wynonna said.” Waverly looked away from her Captain’s eyes. Her voice small.

“You heard that, huh?” The brunette nodded. “How much of it did you hear?”

“All of it. About the time you put me in the truck I was already awake. I thought maybe you noticed but I guess not.. Wynonna shouldn’t of said those things-“

“Ssh. Baby, its okay. She’s just looking out for you.”

“Still.” Waverly sat up on the bed. “I’ve told her numerous times that you’ve never hurt me.”

Nicole got off the bed and faced her girlfriend. “She thinks I hurt you? Like physically hurt you?” Waverly looked up sheepishly and nodded. “Why?”

“Ever since your.. outburst last month, she’s been questioning me about our relationship and wondering if you’re abusive or not.” The brunette looked at Nicole. Who was standing there stiff as a board and completely in shock. “I’ve told her no every single time.”

“Do you.. are you..” Nicole didn’t want to ask the question that was flashing in big red bold letters in her head.

“Cole, what are you trying to ask me?”

The Captain shook her head a few times and began to pace around the bedroom. She couldn’t knock the feeling that maybe her girlfriend actually feared her like Wynonna did. Only the middle Earp feared for her sister verses fearing the redhead. It was something that even she feared would happen. In the back of her mind something told her that she would end up like her father. Cruel, abusive and not caring about other people.

Watching Nicole pace always drew concern to Waverly. It bothered her that she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had caused the sudden quietness and rapid pacing in their bedroom. She was still waiting for an answer and was trying to figure out what she had said that could of caused Nicole to be like that. She slowly got up from the bed and made her way over to her girlfriend. Hoping that she would be able to stop Nicole from making a hole in the floor from walking back and forth so quickly.

“Nicole, baby.” Waverly reached out and lightly grabbed Nicole by the arm. “What’s the matter?”

“Are you afraid of me?” The Captain blurted out while stopping in her tracks.

“What?” The brunette a taken back a bit. She certainly wasn’t expecting that question. “Why would you as-”

“Are you afraid that I might hit you?” Nicole looked at Waverly with fear in her eyes.

“No.” Waverly said quickly. She grabbed both of the redheads hands with her own before continuing. “I trust you Nicole and I certainly do not believe you could ever hurt me. Someone else maybe if provoke it meant you weren’t protecting some one you love or care for but just to hit me or anyone else for that matter because your angry. No. You are not capable of hurting people, baby. It’s just not who are.”

“How you so sure?” 

“Because I know you who are and you’ve never gave me a reason to feel threatened or feared by you. I love you, Nicole Haught and that’s all that’s matters.”


	17. Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. This chapter got the best of me and I just couldn’t seem to find the inspiration for it. I finally finished writing it yesterday and wanted it up as soon as possible. I don’t know when I’ll post again, but hopefully it wont take me two weeks to write the next chapter like it did this one.

_Monday, December 26, 2016 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 6:54 a.m. (EST)_

After a few hours of talking and understanding the fear Nicole had and why it bothered her so much that Wynonna didn’t trust her, they had finally fallen asleep. Aside from the Captain’s fears, the conversation had turned back towards Waverly and how to assess the new issue at hand; Willa showing up days earlier than expected.

Waverly really didn’t know how to go about it. It made her sick to her stomach to know that her oldest sister was in town before she had the chance to leave for vacation. The plan was to take off early in the morning of the twenty-eighth knowing Willa was due to show up mid afternoon that day. The other reason for leaving early was because Nicole wanted a head start on the day so they could (possibly) be at the secret location she was bringing Waverly to.

When the Captain finally woke up the next morning, she moved her arm to try to bring her girlfriend closer to her. Instead of finding a warm body lying next to her, Nicole’s arm skimmed across cold bed sheets. She opened her eyes and lifted her head to confirm that Waverly was in fact no longer in bed with her. Usually on any other day, it wouldn’t bother her so much but after last nights events, it actually bothered her a lot. The redhead figured that Waverly would of slept in knowing that neither of them didn’t fall asleep until almost midnight.

Nicole got out of bed and did her regular morning routine then went to search for her girlfriend. The moment she stepped out of their bedroom, the Captain finally realized what it was that made her wake up in the first place. The smell of freshly brewed coffee hit her first followed by the smell of eggs and sausage. A warm smile graced her face as she descended the stairs.

“Morning babe.” Waverly called out, with her back to the stairs, as she heard her Captain reach the bottom steps. Both her body and voice, felt and sounded tired.

“Morning baby.” Nicole walked up behind the shorter woman and wrapped her arms around her abdomen. She place her chin on Waverly’s right shoulder and asked. “How are feeling this morning?”

Waverly took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Taking a minute to herself just to relax and think about how she wanted to answered the question. Subconsciously, the brunette leaned into Nicole instantly feeling her body relaxing instead of being tense like it was when she first started breakfast.

“Honestly?” Waverly felt Nicole nod. “Like shit. Last night was the first time I ever had a restless night since I started staying here. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t get myself to fall asleep and when I finally did, I was having nightmares. Well, technically they were flashbacks, but still, I was having them.” Waverly finished taking the sausage off the stove, turned it off and turned around to be face to face with her Captain. She leaned her forehead against the taller woman’s shoulder and continued. “I’m surprised I didn’t wake you. I woke up in a cold sweat a few hours ago and I’ve been up ever since.”

“Wave..”

“I already know what you’re gonna say, baby. You deserve to get some sleep. Instead of dealing-.”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Waverly.” Nicole said sternly but her voice was filled with nothing but love and concern. She took a small step back and lifted her girlfriends chin with her pointer finger. “You are far more important to me than sleep, okay baby. Not matter what time it is, day or night, if you need me, I’m here for you. The next time it happens, I want you to wake me up.” She kissed Waverly’s lips softly. “I’m here for you.” The Captain repeated. “Always.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. Why don’t we leave tonight?”

“As much as I loved to, I can’t, Cole. I promised aunt Gus that I would work the night shift tonight and tomorrow. With Willa here early, I know Wynonna wont cover me. She’ll be to busy kissing her ass.”

“How about this, let’s eat breakfast, get ready for the day then we’ll head over to Shorty’s and get a head start on packing up the rest of your things. Then, if it’s alright with you, I’ll stay during your whole shift so you don’t feel uncomfortable just in case Willa shows up. But if you don’t want me to stay, that’s fine too. I’ll just bring the rest of your stuff back here and I’ll just work on packing our suitcases.”

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Waverly asked.

“Maybe once or twice.” Nicole said with a smirk.

The shorter woman playfully tapped the redheads upper arm and moved to grab a couple of plates from one of the cabinets. She couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her face. Waverly was completely and utterly in love with Nicole Haught. Even when her girlfriend was acting like a smart ass.

**____________________**

 

_Monday, December 26, 2016 ~ The Homestead; Purgatory, Maine — 9:15 a.m. (EST)_

“I swear to you, it looked just like her.” Willa spoke into her phone.

The oldest Earp had spent most of the night debating on calling Robert on the possibility of Nicole Haught being at her uncle’s place. She knew what the Boss’s daughter looked like. Well, for the most part. Willa had seen a couple of photo’s of the redhead but those photos were from eight years ago. If she had to admit it, she really didn’t pay close enough attention to them. Deep down, Willa never expected Nicholas Haught to ever find his daughter.

_“We can’t afford to go by look a likes. We need cold **hard** proof. Got it?”_ Robert growled into the phone.

“Got it.” Willa bit back. She was tired of arguing with Robert so she hung up on him.

Willa walked out of her old bedroom and slammed the door closed. Not even caring if she woke Wynonna up or not. She was so frustrated and pissed off at herself for not paying better attention to the damn pictures of the Boss’s daughter. She should of but then again, that was Roberts job. They were a team but her boyfriend had been apart of the game longer than she has. Had even been on the last search for Nicole Haught when the Boss’s father was still the leader. So the oldest Earp not completely knowing what Nicole looked liked, didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. _If only I had paid better attention to those stupid pictures. It’s not my fault they didn’t want to show the photos to me. And they wonder why they can’t find her either. Stupid idiots._

From the sound of the door slamming shut and the pounding of feet on the floor, surprisingly did wake up Wynonna. The middle Earp had drank an entire bottle of Jack Daniels last night because of the confrontation she had with Nicole. She realized that after her little sister and girlfriend had left, that she was a bit to hard on the redhead. It didn’t help that she had already had alcohol in her system. Drinking always caused her to either be the life of the partly or a real dickhead. Apparently last night, it was the latter of the two and unfortunately she took it out on the Captain.

The other half of her drinking the entire bottle of Jack was because she knew Nicole would tell Waverly about the conversation. Some of her hoped that her friend wouldn’t but with the lack of luck on her side, it was very unlikely. It also meant that, yet again, her little sister would be pissed off at her. _I can’t seem to do right by her these days. First things first though. See why Willa is slamming doors at this godly.. wait.. nine-sixteen.. yup, this godly hour then try to apologize to Haughtsauce. Shit! Nicole. She hates puns. Should probably apologize for that too._

Wynonna slid out of bed and got dressed for the day. She grabbed her phone and shot a text message to Nicole asking if she could meet up her later on in the day. Not setting a direct time or place. Knowing that the redhead would probably be packing suit cases for her vacation with Waverly in two days.

That was the other thing that bothered her a lot too. The not knowing where the couple was going. It was her little sister for god sakes. She should know where Nicole is taking her but apparently it was a surprise. No one was suppose to know in case Waverly started asking questions on the surprise location. It didn’t make her feel an easier when the Captain told her to ‘not worry about it. You’ll find out soon enough. Waves will let everyone know once we get there.’ In the back of her mind, she kinda hoped Nicole would bring the youngest Earp to some country with a U.S military base on it where they can stay at. Knowing it could be safer for her sister.

“Willa, who shit in your cereal this morning?” Wynonna said as she walked out of her bedroom and noticed the oldest Earp sitting on the couch looking very pissed.

“Excuse me?”

“Slamming doors. Stomping throughout the house. Waking me up before noon. Ring a bell?” The middle Earp said sarcastically.

“Sorry.” Willa answered back. Sounding anything back apologetic. Wynonna didn’t noticed it either. “Talked to Robert and he still can’t make up here until the twenty-eighth.” She lied.

“Oh. Sorry to hear to that.” Wynonna moved to sit next to her older sister.

“It’s fine. Anyways I never got the chance to ask you last night, but who was that redhead with our baby sister?” Willa asked. Hoping Wynonna would give her the answer she was looking for.

“Oh, that’s Waverly’s girlfriend.” The darker brunette avoided saying Nicole’s name. Out of respect for Waverly’s request to not mention her girlfriend to Willa.

The oldest Earp looked at her sister curiously. After a moments breath, Willa bit the inside of her cheeks to hide the smile that was trying to form on her face. Those last two words were the greatest words that she ever heard in the last few months. To know that there was a good possibility that the Boss’s daughter was dating her youngest sister, was literally music to her ears. _Oh, this Game just got a whole lot more interesting._

**____________________**

 

_Monday, December 26, 2016 ~ Waverly’s Apartment; Purgatory, Maine — 9:18 a.m. (EST)_

A couple hours after waking up, eating breakfast, and showering, both Nicole and Waverly made their way over to Shorty’s. Before leaving, the Captain made sure to grab her old boxes from the last time she moved. She always made sure to keep them, not knowing if she’d be moving sooner rather later because of the military. Of course, the redhead might of got new boxes a week ago, while feeling presumptuous about her girlfriends answer to moving in with her.

When the brunette asked about said ‘brand new boxes’, Nicole ducked her head to hide her face that she knew was brighter than her hair. Waverly ended up chuckling at her Captain’s brazenness. Even if the shorter woman thought it was extremely cute that the redhead was planning ahead, but she wasn’t going to admit that. Well, not right away at least.

As the two entered the bar and started walking up the stairs, Nicole’s phone went off in her back pocket. She knew it was a text message but just didn’t know who it was from. The taller woman had her arms filled with empty boxes so she asked Waverly to check it for her.

“It’s Wynonna. She’s wants to know if you want to hangout at some point today.” Waverly said as she unlocked her apartment door.

The brunette opened the door and walked inside with Nicole following closely behind her. She waited to see if her Captain would answer her back or not. It was odd for her sister to text someone the next day after having a fight with them. She figured her girlfriend thought the same and must of been contemplating it. Which Waverly didn’t blame her. Wynonna did say some really mean things last night. She only hoped her middle sister was looking to apologize instead of causing more issues.

“Nicole?”

“Yea, baby?” Nicole answered whilst putting the empty boxes down on the table.

“You gonna respond back to my sister?” Waverly asked and waited a moment. She watched Nicole shrug.“She probably just wants to say sorry to you.”

“Or tell me that she miraculously found evidence that I’m beating you and start punching holes in me with peacemaker.” The Captain said dryly. “I’m gonna go grab the rest of the boxes.” Nicole left the room before Waverly could say anything.

Waverly still had Nicole’s phone in her hand and made a decision for her girlfriend.

**[Nicole]** : Sure. Lets do drinks at Shorty’s later. I’ll be there all day helping Waves pack and keeping her company during her shift tonight. (9:19 a.m.)

The shorter woman hit the send button and quickly deleted the whole text message. Waverly knew Nicole well enough that the redhead wasn’t going to respond back to Wynonna. She had a good reason not to but the brunette didn’t want her girlfriend upset with her sister during their vacation. She only hoped that her Captain would forgive her for texting back and inviting her sister over so they could talk. _Shit! That means I’ll probably be dealing with Willa too. God dammit!_ She put the phone on the table when she heard Nicole coming back up the stairs.

“I deleted her text message for you.” Waverly said shyly. She hoped she sounded convincing and that Nicole wouldn’t noticed her avoiding eye contact with her. The brunette was sure the Captain would pick up on her nervous energy.

“Thanks.” Nicole looked at her girlfriend and noticed the slight fidgeting of Waverly’s hands. “You okay, baby? You seem off all of sudden.”

_Oh balls! I don’t want to lie to her. It’ll only make her more upset with me. What should I do? Fuck!_ “I’m fine.” _Liar!_ “Just nervous that I might have to deal with Willa today or tomorrow.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. Waverly was nervous about seeing Willa before leaving on the twenty-eighth. It really wasn’t on her list of things to do between today and tomorrow. She just wanted to get through the next couple of days without any stress and hopefully with no drama. Sadly, when it came to her oldest sister, it always meant that she was going to end up dealing with both. She knew that drama followed Willa every where and it was always ended up being stressful. _God, I don’t want to deal with her crap!_

“Hey.” The Captain spoke softly. She put down the rest of the boxes down and walked over to Waverly. Wrapping her arms around her girlfriends waist and pulling her body into her. “Try not to worry to much about it, okay. I’ll be right by your side if something happens.” Nicole kisses the top of the brunettes head and held her tightly. Knowing that it helped keep Waverly grounded. Which was what her girlfriend needed at that very moment.

**____________________**

 

_Monday, December 26, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 9:32 p.m. (EST)_

Shorty’s had an unusual busy Monday night, so Waverly was busting table after table while Curtis was busy behind the bar. The brunette was thankful that her girlfriend stuck around for her shift because between her, her uncle, Gus and even Shorty, it seemed like there just wasn’t enough people working. Nicole graciously started helping Waverly bust tables along with helping out in the kitchen.

During the time the Captain was dropping off a food order to one of the tables and walking back to the kitchen, Wynonna and Willa had entered the saloon. The middle Earp was already scanning the room for either her little sister or Nicole while walking towards the bar. She couldn’t believe how busy Shorty’s was. Especially being a Monday and the day after Christmas. From what the darker brunette had been told, it tended to be extremely quiet. Tonight unfortunately, was not the case.

Wynonna finally caught sight of the couple. Waverly was clearing an empty table while Nicole was walking around her to deliver a tray of food to the table with patrons next to it. She watched redhead pass out each plate of food to its rightful owner and slipped the tray under her arm. Then as Nicole passed the younger Earp, she grazed her fingers along the woman’s arm and gave her a warm and loving smile. Waverly had returned the smile and even gave her Captain a chaste kiss to the underside of her jaw.

Watching the two woman interact made the middle Earp feel even more guiltier and had her stomach clenching due to it. It made it her sick to think that she accused Nicole of hurting her baby sister when clearly the woman was head over heals for Waverly. The constant ‘heart eyes’ the Captain gave the brunette should of been the clear indication but Wynonna still couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe there was something more going on with Nicole than what she was lead to believe. Again, she forced herself to keep her mouth shut to keep her sister happy. If there was something going on, the shorter woman wouldn’t of stayed in the relationship or even accepted to move in with her girlfriend.

The middle Earp checked behind her to see if Willa was still next her. She found her oldest sister already sitting at the bar and talking with someone she didn’t recognize. But that didn’t matter at the moment. Wynonna had more important things to deal with. Just as she was about to approach Waverly, she noticed that she was busy fending herself off one of the patrons. She knew who it was just by noticing his tattoo covered arms and blonde hair. Champ Hardy. The same idiot who just couldn’t take no for answer and wouldn’t accept the fact that Waverly wasn’t interested in him or men for that matter. Slowly, she made her over and started listening in on their conversation.

“Champ, I’ve told you a hundred times. I’m not interested and I have a girlfriend.” Waverly said while walking towards the counter. Champ following closely behind her.

“Babe, you’re just confused. Spend one night with me and I’ll show you what you’re really missing out on.”

Wynonna glanced over towards the kitchen area and saw Nicole watching the same scene unfold. The Captain was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest. The darker brunette saw that her fists were also clenched tight. She felt bad for Champ if he tried anything on Waverly and her little sister was unable to defend herself. Wynonna had a feeling that she was about to see the one side that she feared the redhead had around her sister.

“Two things.” Waverly turned around so she could look the blonde haired man in the eye. “One, I’m not your babe and two, I’m definitely not confused. You’re not my type and you never will be. You need to understand that we.” She waved a hand between them. “Will never happen. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” The brunette turned back around and continued to walk back to the bar.

At this point, Champ was annoyed, a little drunk and was starting to get pissed off. He had been trying for weeks to get the shorter woman to go out with him but was shut down every time. He just couldn’t believe and understand why this woman wouldn’t give him the time of day. It made him furious to think that the one woman he wanted to score with, was gay. He wanted what he believed was his and was finally going to do something about it. Not caring about the fact that Shorty’s was filled with customers. He stepped forward and roughly grabbed Waverly’s upper arm. Tightening his hand around it as well.

Waverly turned her head to looked at hand holding her than up to the mans face. “Champ, let go of me or else your head in getting smashed into the table.”

She looked over to Nicole and gave her look. One that she hoped would say, ‘I might need you so please be closer just in case.’ Thankfully, Nicole must of understood because she was already walking towards them. Champ noticed it as well and again, tighten his hand. “Champ, please. You’re hurting me.” Waverly pleaded.

From the other side of the pair, Wynonna had heard what her little sister had said but still didn’t make a move. She wasn’t going to until she knew for certain Waverly needed her help. Then again, she also saw Nicole making her way over to the situation and was curious to see how she would handle it. The darker brunette decided to take a look back at Willa to see if she was paying any attention to what was going on. It was hard not to. Shorty’s was quieting down after Waverly’s last statement. To her surprise, both her older sister and the unnamed man she was talking to her watching intently.

Waverly finally had enough of Champ not listening to her and she silently thanked the fact that the boy-man was holding her left arm. So she balled up her right fist, pulled back back her arm some and attempted to punch him in the face. Sadly, the taller man saw it coming and grabbed her fist with his other hand, before it connected with his jaw. He smirked at the smaller woman and pulled her fist forward. Grabbing her forearm as her body became flushed with his.

“This isn’t funny anymore. Let me go.” Waverly hissed through gritted teeth.

Both Nicole and Wynonna decided that enough of enough. Waverly needed help whether she liked it or not. The look of Hardy’s face said everything and the both of them knew he wasn’t going to stop until someone else forced him to. He had death grip on Waverly and his face was possessive, greedy and downright cold. The Captain knew she needed to get to her girlfriend before..

Champ let go of Waverly’s left arm and quickly snaked his hand behind her neck. Roughly pulling her face into a bruising kiss. The brunette tried to pushed back just as fast as it had started but apparently had no such luck. Her left arm was numb and she could barley feel it. The mans tongue tried to push into her mouth but fought against it.

The next thing she youngest Earp knew, she was being pulled away as Champ was being yanked back. Waverly saw red. Literally. She watched Nicole punch the blonde haired man in the face. Then when he was caught off guard, she grabbed his right wrist and pulled behind his back, slamming his front into the nearest table. The redheads left hand also forced his face hard into the table as well. Champ started to cry out in pain as the Captain began to twist his arm. Not caring that she was twisting it to the point where it would snap.

“Touch her like that again and I will snap your arm off.” The Captain growled. “Now, she told you to back off and that’s exactly what you’re going to do. Unless you want to to get beaten to death by me or better yet, Wynonna will gladly use as target practice. Do I make myself clear? Chump.” Nicole said in a strong but affirmative tone.

“Yes.” The man yelped.

“Yes, what?” Nicole twisted his wrist a little bit more.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Curtis and Shorty made their way over after the scene had unfolded and they tried to hide the amused look on their faces. This was the first time Champ had finally met his match. Not many people would take him on while he was drunk. Especially because he tended to be an abusive one. More times than not, he would use his strength and weight to his advantage. Plus nobody liked dealing with him anyways.

Both men took hold of Champ and escorted him out of the saloon. Telling him that he was no longer allowed in the establishment and if he stepped foot in there again, he would be arrested for trespassing. The young man mumbled something under his breath but neither Shorty or Curtis heard it. They just threw him out the door and went back to work.

Back towards the middle of the room, Waverly stayed coiled up in her sister’s arms, staring at her girlfriend. She never saw Nicole become violent with anyone. She watched as her Captain took in a couple of deep breaths before turning around and facing her. The redheads face shone pure concern for her.

“Are you okay?” Nicole said slowly. Waverly could only nod her head.

The taller woman noticed her girlfriends breathing was still at a fast pace but her face wasn’t what she thought it would. Waverly was scared and horrified. But to the Captain, it wasn’t because of what Champ did her. Its what she did to Champ. She took a step to the side and started to walk past Waverly to only be stopped by a comforting hand on he arm. Which happened to belong to the brunette.

Waverly threw her arms around her girlfriend neck, kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. “Thank you, Nicole. Why don’t we both go sit down and take a breather, yea?” The Captain relaxed instantly. Her fears slowly dissolving from the contact.

“Okay.” Nicole gave the shorter woman a half smile and allowed her to pull her towards the stairs where they could sit and be away from everyone for a few minutes.

Wynonna followed behind them. She apologized to the both of them and even admitted that she wrong. Thanking Nicole as well for defending Waverly and being the one to pull Champ away from her. The darker brunette told them that if it was her who grabbed him, the boy-man would of ended up with broken bones instead of a sprained wrist and a busted lip. The three of them continued to talked for a couple more minutes, allowing there adrenaline and nerves to settle back down before returning the attention to the bar.

No one noticed the mischievous and sinful look on Willa’s face. She finally realized that the redhead was indeed Nicole Haught and that she found her greatest weakness. Which just happened to be her little sister, Waverly Earp. The oldest Earp knew how to get the Boss’s daughter to Texas and it was going to be sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will this be the end of Champ or do you think he’ll strike again?


	18. Eighteen

_Wednesday, December 28, 2016 ~ Airport; Portland, Maine — 7:45 a.m. (EST)_

On the drive home, early in the morning on the twenty-seventh, after Shorty’s had closed, Waverly admitted to her Captain about texting Wynonna. They were always honest with each other and the guilt that was forming throughout the day only got worst once the incident with Champ started. She knew Nicole would of figured that her sister would of shown up at Shorty’s anyways due to the fact that it was the only bar in town. Not to mention, all of her family members were working that night.

After finding out the truth, Nicole was quiet for a little awhile. Well, the remainder of the car ride back to their house. During that time, the redhead gave Waverly’s reason some thought. She understood why her girlfriend did it. Didn’t mean she was happy about it but in the end, she accepted the apology. Especially because Wynonna did in fact apologize to her and said that she would talk to her before accusing her again along with getting to know her better. Even going as far as hanging out more once the couple got back from vacation.

Yesterday ended a lot better than the day before. Nicole wasn’t able to spend the entire shift with her girlfriend. Luckily the two of them decided to take both vehicles just for that reason. The older woman needed to make sure she got everything packed and loaded into her truck along with getting enough sleep to drive the airport and fly to another country. She was bubbling with excitement and almost spoiled the surprised by letting the secret out. Thankfully the Captain stopped short in her rambling and clapped her mouth shut. Waverly couldn’t help but laugh at her. Nicole was acting like a kid in candy store who was told she could buy as much as she wants. Her energy certainly did act like she did. She was practically bouncing off the walls. That’s how much energy the redhead had.

Before heading over to Shorty’s for her shift, Waverly definitely made use of her Captains energy. Secretly hoping that it would rub off on her too so she had some during work. As much as she loves working at the bar, it got tiring. Don’t get her wrong, Shorty’s was a second home to her. Quite literally, up until recently. But she didn’t want to be a barmaid forever. The brunette wanted to be more. Ever since she started talking to Nicole and the Captain giving her ideas and options about what career she could get into, she wanted to prove to herself that she could. Waverly Earp was going to make something out of herself and become someone.

It was now the morning of the twenty-eighth and Nicole had to wake up her very exhausted girlfriend at a time that was to early for either of their likings. For the older woman though, it would just be another day as if she was going to work. Though, that would not be the case for the early morning rising. No. Today was the day they finally going on vacation together. A vacation where they could be stress free and away from people who caused to much pain to be around. It was also nice to be away from the states. Especially during the search that could potentially end Nicole’s life. Leaving meant she was safe. At least for the time being.

The two hour drive down to the airport was extremely quiet. Waverly had fallen back to sleep by the time they got to the end of the driveway. Nicole didn’t mind. She figured on her girlfriend sleeping. Not that the Captain blamed her. The younger Earp didn’t get to bed until almost two-thirty in the morning. She didn’t leave the bar until one-thirty, which also meant she didn’t get home until two. Even though the brunette was exceedingly exhausted, she took a warm shower to relax her muscles along with the beer that accidentally got dumped on her by a drunk girl who wasn’t paying any attention. What drunk person truly does, right?

Now, the Captain pulled up to the hanger bay that contained her jet. She keep her truck going and quietly unloaded the suit cases from the back seat. Along with Waverly’s favorite pillow and four blankets that she hide on the floor yesterday afternoon. Once everything was loaded into the jet, Nicole started its engine and drove it out. She had a feeling that the noise of the plane wasn’t going to wake up the sleeping woman, but surprisingly enough, the redhead was proven wrong.

Nicole drove her jet off to the side so it was far enough away so she could drive her truck inside the hanger bay and leave it there while they were gone. When she started walking back, her truck was longer there and the only thing that was, was her girlfriend with her hands on her hips.

“Oh boy.” Nicole could see the amused smirk on Waverly’s face.

“Captain Haught, you wouldn’t dare take off without your girl, now would you?” The brunettes voice was flirtatious but Nicole could see a slight bit of hurt in her eyes as she got closer to her girlfriend.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” The Captain returned the same flirtatious tone and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman’s waist. She kissed the tip of Waverly’s nose. It was something she had started doing recently just to hear her girlfriend giggle. She pulled her head back and looked down at the brunette. “You ready to go on vacation with me baby?”

Waverly brought her hands up to play with the short hairs at the nape of Nicole’s neck. “Most definitely.”

**  
____________________**

 

_Wednesday, December 28, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 1:13 p.m. (EST)_

Wynonna walked into Shorty’s with Willa trailing behind her. The oldest Earp had her phone attached to her ear, yet again. In the two and half days that she had been there, the brown haired woman was on the phone more times than not. The middle Earp was getting a little annoyed with her sister but decided not to say anything. She knew Willa was talking to her boyfriend and from little snippets of the conversation she overheard, they were talking about a business. Another thing the darker brunette didn’t bring up.

Shorty’s had finally slowed down about the time the Earp sisters came in. Gus noticed them first and shook her head. _Of course those two would showed up after the lunch rush. If it was Nicole and Waverly they would of gotten here at the beginning of it just so they could help out. Can’t always get what you wish for. I wonder how there flight is going?_ She shook her again and went about wiping down the counter top along with the shot glasses.

Willa ended her phone call and pocketed her cell. She glanced around the bar in hopes to find a certain couple in there. Noticing that they weren’t she decided to ask. “Will Waverly and her girlfriend be joining us for lunch today?”

“They went on vacation.” Wynonna simple said.

“Vacation? To where?” The oldest Earp tried to hide her annoyance. _Robert wont be happy this._

“We haven’t been told yet.” Gus answered.

“It’s a surprise.” Wynonna added in.

“So let me get this straight.” Willa paused to gather her thoughts. “You let our little sister.” She looked at Wynonna then turned to Gus. “And your niece. To go on vacation to another state or even a different country with a woman she barely knows?”

“They’ve been dating for three months, Wills.” The middle Earp countered as she brought up her glass before drinking from it.

“Nicole wouldn’t let anything happened to Waverly. Your sister is that woman’s entire world.” Gus said proudly. She had always liked Nicole from the beginning. Knew it in her gut that the Captain would be good for her niece and tried not to be smug about it when she knew she was right.

“So you’re just suppose to trust this woman and hope that nothing happens? I mean how well do either you know this Nicole person, anyways.”

“Sis, I’m gonna have to stop you there.”

“What?” Willa looked at the younger sister. Trying to figured out where she was going with this.

“I get it. You just got here and you’re intrigued by the redhead who is dating Waves, but I’ve learned over the course of there relationship that you don’t go poking into it.” Both Earp girls looked over at Gus and the older woman nodded in agreement. “So just leave it alone, Willa.” Wynonna paused to take another drink. The brown haired woman didn’t miss how her sister just kept dismissing the topic of Waverly’s girlfriend every time she was brought up.

“Fine.” The oldest Earp said coldly. Feeling defeated once again. Which was something she absolutely hated.

“So when are we meeting Robert, sweetheart.” Gus asked just so they could change subjects quickly.

“Sadly, he can’t make up here anymore. Something came up and his Boss needed his help.” Willa had to hide the smirk on her face.

**____________________**

 

_Friday, December 30, 2016 ~ Library; Houston, Texas — 2:30 p.m. (CT)_  
  
Shannon heard the phone call. The one that she had been fearing for years. The one that she wished her husband and father-in-law never got. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case anymore. Nicholas Haught got the call that his daughter had finally been found.

Upon finding out the news, she had to act fast. Alerting her brother and hopefully Liam would be able to warn her daughter before anything happened. Shannon didn’t know Nicole’s location. She didn’t hear that part of the conversation or least Nicholas didn’t voice it.

A couple of days later, Shannon practically ran to the library. Houston was undeniably busy all the time but that didn’t stop her from getting to the one place she knew she could get ahold of her brother without getting caught. Well, at least not completely. Mrs.Haught still knew that she wasn’t being followed. She always checked her surroundings twice before entering any building. With most of the employee’s still gone, it meant that she was still safe.

She walked over to the computers and made sure to take a long look around the building. Being between the two closest holidays of the year, the library was seemingly quiet. Usually it was filled with college and high school student, but they were all on break so now the three story building probably had about twenty to thirty people inside. They were all scattered throughout the library. Shannon logged into her email as soon as she sat down.

+++

Email:

From: Webster, Shannon <Shannon.Webster@gmail.com>

To: Webster, Liam <L.Webster@gmail.com>

Subject: Code Red!

Liam,

You need to contact Nicole as quickly as possible. They found her! They’re setting up a plan to bring her here. Something about her having a girlfrie

+++

The woman took a deep breath before typing the last sentence. Her eyes focused on the screen but her ears stayed alert to any noise possibly coming her way. The library was quiet. Like it always was but right now, it was to quiet. Almost as if no one was there..

“Shannon.” The woman froze. She knew that voice. “Interesting email you’re writing to your brother. To bad he’ll never receive it.” The man behind her said. He leaned forward an spoke in her ear. Placing a hand a her shoulder as well. “Now, lets go for a walk.” He took a step back allowing Shannon to get up. Knowing she would do as he says.

Mrs.Haught turned around and faced her worst nightmare. She turned one-eighty and came face to face with Nicholas Haught, who was donning the black and blue suit. Behind him, stood two of his employees that usually worked as bouncers. They too were wearing their all black suits, which meant they were here for business. The both of them were six-foot-four and build like a linebacker. They were probably the strongest of men that Nicholas had working for him and them being at the library with their boss, sadly meant Shannon had no chance of escaping. Especially when all three of them were carrying nine millimeter inside their jackets.

Nicholas took a step towards his wife and logged out of her email. Not bothering to shut down the computer. He took a step back and roughly grabbed Shannon by the arm. He began walking back out of the building, dragging her along beside him. The two men followed closely behind them. Making sure the Boss’s wife didn’t try anything along with making sure no one else tried to interfere with them as well.

The first thing Shannon noticed when they got outside, was how empty the sidewalk and street was. That made her ten times more nervous knowing that her husband must of blocked off the street or something along those lines. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. Mrs.Haught already knew her fate. It was just a matter time before she met it.

They all quickly piled into the black SUV that was parked in the front on the building. The two men sat in back with Shannon in the middle of them while Nicholas was in the drivers seat. The Boss’s wife didn’t know where her husband was taking her but she had funny feeling that it was going to be somewhere that she was familiar with.

**____________________**

 

_Friday, December 30, 2016 ~ Manly Beach; Sydney, Australia — 9:30 a.m. (AEDT) & Thursday, December 29, 2016 ~ Shorty’s, Purgatory, Maine — 5:30 p.m. (EST)_

The flight to the still unknown location to Waverly, was excessively long. Nicole had made two stops. The first one being Boston, just so she could be in the regular flight patterns. Portland was a small airport and never did long nonstop flights. The airport itself had eleven nonstop’s total with five seasonal’s on top of that and the furthest west stop was Chicago. So needless to say, it was easier to fly to the first largest airport rather than flying under the radar at a slower rate. Especially since there flight was a total of twenty-two hours. Luckily for them, they only had to wait fifteen minutes to be able to roll down the runway and take off towards their destination.

Six hours later they had finally landed in Los Angeles. Is was their second and final stop. To them, it was almost three in the afternoon but it California, it was almost eleven in the morning. Of course about the time they had finally landed, parked and made there way into the airport where the food court was, it was already a little past eleven.

Nicole really needed the stretch too. The only time she actually got up from the pilot seat was to use the restroom. Even then it was only for a couple of minutes. The Captain had left her jet on auto pilot and Waverly graciously took over for those few minutes. She was confident enough in the few flying lessons that Nicole gave her just for this trip.

An hour later, they were taking off again. Nicole was nice enough to tell her girlfriend that the second half of their flight was fifteen hours long. Waverly looked at her Captain like she was crazy. She was both curious and intrigued. The brunette just couldn’t help herself to asking questions as to where they were going. Sure, she could of googled places that took approximately fifteen hours of flying to get there but she promised Nicole that she would leave it a surprise. Though having to literally wait an entire day was ridiculous and quite frankly, annoying for Waverly, but the end results was absolutely worth it. Even if they did arrive at nine o’clock at night the next day. No thanks to the time differences and them losing a day due to it.

Waverly had fallen back to sleep during the second half. Nicole on the other hand was hyped up on a couple of five hour energy drinks. It was the only way to keep her awake enough to finish the flight. She was still running off the energy that she had the day before. Well, technically now two days before no thanks to the time change. Once they had landed though, the Captain was thankfully still hyped up. She still needed to drive to another forty minutes just to get to their hotel.

A few minutes before landing, Nicole looked over at her girlfriend who was getting excited at the fact they were finally seeing land again. Waverly could the lights illuminate the land below them. She didn’t know where they were but hoped her Captain would clue her in. The look she was receiving though, told the brunette that was some place that she was definitely going to like.

“Waves, baby, welcome to Sydney, Australia.”

Even though Nicole was exhausted by the time they reached the hotel, it didn’t stop her from enjoying a late, quiet dinner with her girl. The best part about this restaurant that the two of them had decided on going to, was that it was a five minute walk from where they were staying. Which meant they were able to stretch out their sore muscles they both had and get the very much need fresh air.

The following morning, the couple decided to take it slow. Enjoy the fact that they were in a new continent. A place that was already eighty-two degrees out by mid morning. Waverly had already stake claim on part of the beach. She was lying out on her beach towel, soaking up the sun. Nicole, well, she had brought a beach umbrella so she didn’t completely burn to a crisp. She knew she could tan. Just from her time over seas in the desert proved that. But she also had to apply sun tan lotion every two hours. Just like the Captain knew she would be doing that for the duration of there stay in Australia.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself there, baby.” Nicole said as she crouched down just inches above her girlfriends head. Her brown eyes ranking down the already tan skin that was only clad in a forest green bikini. Leaving little to imagination.

Waverly was lying on her back when she saw her Captain approach her. Only seconds before voicing her presence. She couldn’t help but admire her girlfriends tall creamy skin. Along with the blue bikini that brought out the red in her hair. She always did love blue on Nicole.

“As a matter of fact; I am. Thank you very much.” Waverly singsonged the ‘thank you’ part.

“I’m glad, baby. Have you message Wynonna or Gus yet?”

“No, not yet. What’s the times difference between here and Maine?”

“They’re fifteen hours behind us. So right now it is...” Nicole checked her world clock on her phone. “The twenty-ninth and five-thirty two in the afternoon. So you could FaceTime them and not have to worry about your sister possibly sleeping.”

“Yea, good point.” The brunette sat up and reached over to her purse to grab her cell. After unlocking it, she instantly opened up the app and started calling Wynonna.

_“About time you freaking called me, babygirl. I’ve been worried sick thinking something happened to you.”_ Wynonna said as her faced showed up on Waverly’s screen.

“Sorry Nonna, bit of a ti-” Nicole sat behind her girlfriend who settled between her legs.

_“Why the hell aren’t you wearing clothes and.. how is it sunny out? Where the fuck are you?”_ Wynonna said in one breath.

_“Let your sister talk for gods sake, Wynonna.”_ Waverly heard Gus say.

_“Sorry.”_

“Thanks Gus.. As I was saying, there’s a time difference between us. We’re on a beach right now and we’re both wearing bikinis by the way. Also its morning where we are.”

_“So where you at?”_

“I’m keeping it a surprise.”

_“Excuse me? Haught, tell me where you took my sister.”_ Wynonna demanded.

Waverly turned her head and gave Nicole a pleading look. The Captain nodded her head slightly. “It’s up to Waves if she wants to tell you where we are.”

“And I’ll tell you all when we get back.”

_“Babygirl..”_

“Now, I love you both. I called to let you that were both fine-”

_“Waves..”_

“I’ll message you again at some point. Until then, I’m going back to enjoying my vacation with Nicole. Love you!” Waverly ended the call before her sister could ask anymore questions or her other sister showed up. She leaned into the redhead and sighed. Relaxing into the feeling of Nicole’s arms around her stomach. “Do you think I should of told them where we were?” She asked. Resting her head against her girlfriends shoulder.

“Why didn’t you?” Nicole asked instead.

“I just wanted this to be ours, you know.” She felt the taller woman nod then felt a chaste kiss to the underside of her jaw. “This the first time I’ve ever left the states and to be completely honest, I really don’t want to share this with anyone yet. I mean, I basically waited a month and half to find out so what’s another week fo them, right?”

“The choice is yours, baby. It’s your Christmas gift in the first place. So technically you don’t have to share it with anyone if you don’t want to.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Waverly lifted her right hand to touch Nicole’s jaw as she turned both their faces towards one another so she could capture her favorite pair of lips with her own.

**____________________**

 

_Friday, December 30, 2016 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 3:30 p.m. (CT)_

_To bad he’ll never receive it._ That sentence kept replaying in Shannon’s mind for the entire hour long drive. She wasn’t sure if it meant Liam wouldn’t get it because it was never sent or if it had a bigger meaning behind. Sadly, knowing her husband, it was the latter of the two. Mrs.Haught herself, didn’t know where her brother lived, no different than knowing where her daughter was. But her husband would of figured out a way find him anyways.

The worst part about that drive other than her mind circling back to what her husband said, was being stuck between two men with a guns jabbing into her sides. They never moved or talked. At some point, Shannon didn’t think they were breathing cause they were that still. _Dogs! These two are dogs. Literally waiting until their next command. Their master must be so proud to have such obedient dogs._

The building Nicholas drove up to, was one that the woman did not recognize. She could just barely make out the word ‘phoenix’ engraved high up on the building. Phoenix was a common word that the Haught’s used. But again, the building was unrecognizable. Not to mention, it was on the outskirts of Houston and on an abandon road. The cement building was semi new. No more than forty years old. If only Shannon knew what this place was and what it meant for her fate. She would of been much better off to accept it, rather than fearing what her husband had planned. What ever it was, Mrs.Haught knew her death was going to be brutal.

“Bring her inside boys.” Nicholas gave his command.

The two men finally moved. Exiting the SUV at the same time. As if it was a choreographed danced between the two. The man on the driver side yanked Shannon towards him. Practically dropping her on the ground while possessively gripping her left arm with one hand. She was pulled to her feet, quickly and yet again, yanked to the front of the vehicle where the other man stood, patiently waiting.

The pair dragged her towards the building. As they got closer to the front, Shannon was able to read what the word after ‘phoenix’ said. Her stomach dropped. The remaining remnants in said stomach threatened to come up. It wasn’t just a building. It was a crematorium. Nicholas Haught brought her to crematorium. Why he owned one, she didn’t understand.

Just before entering, it hit her. The why. The how. Shannon was never told how the bodies just disappeared without a trace. Now it all made sense. The crematorium was her husbands ultimate escape. To disintegrate the bodies. That vile feeling in the pit of her stomach became worse. She realized her fate was to be nothing more than a pile of dust.

Shannon was continued to be dragged inside. Nicholas following behind them. She was brought to a flight of stairs that apparently lead to a basement. The room was dark. So dark the woman couldn’t see anything in front of her.

“I have a present for you, Shannon.” Nicholas’s voice almost chipper. Whiched caused a shiver down the woman’s spine.

She heard a noise come from somewhere in the room. Before she could say anything, Nicholas flicked the light switch on. Shannon gasped. She couldn’t believe what she seeing. Who she was seeing. The only word that fell from her lips came out as a whisper.

“Liam?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!! Anyone else think Liam would be officially be brought into the story, rather than just be emails? Haha neither did I!


	19. Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is SOO long over due! My other fic took over my brain for a bit and thankfully I was able to steer it back this one! 
> 
> To those who have asked. I created a tumblr account so you can follow me @courtney-161994. I might do sneak peeks but I’m not sure yet. 
> 
> You can also follow me on Twitter @Courtney_161994.

_Friday, December 30, 2016 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 3:31 p.m. (CT)_

“What did you do to him!” Shannon ran over to her brother.

Liam was slumped over in the chair. The entirety of his face was covered in bruises. His right eye was closed shut. The bridge of his nose was broken and covered in dried blood. Her younger brothers lips were both spilt in two, swollen and from the looks of it, they had been recently split open again. The clothes that he was wearing were filthy. Dirt and blood stains covered both his white shirt and blue jeans. His breathing was surprisingly slow, much to Shannon’s dismay.

“I wanted answers and it seems like your idiotic brother is not willing to share. Hence the reason why he is in the state that he is in now.” Nicholas said with a smirk. “If he had just given me the answers that I seek a week ago, he wouldn’t of ended up here in the first place.”

Shannon snapped her head towards her husband. “A WEEK!” She screamed. “You’ve held my brother captive for a week!” She thought for a moment. “How did you find him, huh?”

Nicholas’s lips curled up with eyes shining with amusement while he just stared at his wife. Suddenly, he’s laughing. Empty, emotionless, and nothing but pure evil. He stopped abruptly. Narrowing his eyes between Liam and Shannon. Watching curiously, as the woman took her attention of him and back to her brother. Whispering something to him that Nicholas can’t quite make out. But he knows her. Knows that she’s probably whispering reassurances that she’ll never be able to keep.

“I’ll let him answer that for me. In the mean time, why don’t the two of you get reacquainted considering its been _years_ since you last saw each other.” Nicholas said while glaring at them.

The Boss turned around and headed straight for the door that lead to the stairs, with his men following behind him. The door then slammed closed causing both brother and sister to flinch. Now that they were alone, Shannon took a moment to glance around the basement. It was surprisingly clean. A few dimmed lights were on. They were bright enough to see throughout the room but not enough to actually see just how badly Liam was hurt.

There were four small windows on the width of the building; two on each side. A small child could fit through them but for an adult, it would be impossible. If they were try to go through them, their shoulders would break along with their torsos. Even if they were to try sticking one arm out, shifting their shoulders slightly to accommodate the size of the window, it wouldn’t work. The other issue they had, was the fact that said windows were high up on the walls that they would need a object with height to reach them and the only source that had it, had a body tied to it. Which reminded her..

Shannon brought her attention back to her brother and checked the ropes that were tightly wrapped around him. Liams ankles were tied to the legs of the chair while his wrists were bounded together behind him. Even his torso was roped to the chair. Any kind of movement would cause rope burns to the mans body. Which was obviously Nicholas’s plan. To cause as much pain as he possibly could without touching them. It was truly disturbing to think about.

As she tried to look for the ends of each rope, he brother whispered. “It’s not use.”

“What?” Shannon asked.

“A-aside from be-being tied. The-there gl-glued.” Liam stuttered. Wincing at the pain in his throat.

The woman drags one of her fingers over the rope that is tied around Liam’s abdomen. She followed the direction of it, slowly tracing it down until she reaches the end of it. Shannon angrily sighs. Her brother was right. The ends of the rope were indeed glued together and from the feel of it it wasn’t the only part that was either. She ran her finger over it again along with the other ropes, just to confirm her suspicions. _The sick bastard glued the entire back of these. I’m gonna need a knife to cut through these now._

“Dammit.” Shannon whispered.

“Told you.” Liam tried to laughed. “You never were one to believe me.”

“Know is not the time for your jokes, Liam.” His sister shook her head. Trying to stifle the small laugh that dared to come out. She got up from behind and then sat on the floor in front of him. Staring at her brother with such concern in her eyes. “How did this happen. Even I didn’t know where you lived.”

Liam took a shuddered breath. “He’s been following you.” He said slowly. “For years, apparently.” Her brother took a slow and steady breath. “The last time we spoke, he was the one trailing you. Wanted to confirm it himself.” Shannon couldn’t believe what she was hearing. _He knew but didn’t do anything about it. Why?_ “ Where ever it was you were emailing me from, he had someone go in after you left, go through the computers history and they found your email address. Once they finally logged in, they found my emails and traced them to get my IP address. Did you know they could do that?”

Ignoring her brothers question, Shannon pressed on. “Why does he have you, Liam?”

“He thinks I know where Nicole is. That’s why I’m here. I wont give up my password either and I’ve told Nicholas a hundred times, she’s never replied back. Which is also, apparently, how he found me. Shan, now its my turn to ask. Why are you here?”

Shannon could feel the lump in her throat and her mouth going dry. She swallowed hard before answering. “Nicholas tailed me again. I was on my way to tell you to warn Nicole.. I am so sorry, Liam. I should of never go you involved in all of this.” She cried.

Liam hesitated for a moment. “Warn Nicole about what?”

“They found her, Liam! They found her and they’re going lure her here!”

**  
____________________**

 

_Tuesday, January 3, 2017 ~ Federal Bureau of Investigation; Houston, Texas — 10:25 a.m. (CT)_

Months. Days. Even years. Director Lucado had been waiting for someone from the Revenant’s to slip up. For their, very precise, coordinated steps to go wrong. But when their leader, Boss, was Nicholas Haught Junior and now, Nicholas Haught the third, it seems like nothing could go wrong.

She had been watching the mob for as long as she could remember. When Jeannie Lucado first became director ten years ago and was enlightened on the real reasons why they’re so many missing person’s reports that were left unsolved, she was utterly baffled. No one could do anything. Due to the fact they couldn’t find any hard evidence on anyone who was involved with the Haught’s.

So, Lucado did her own investigation. Even when the old director told her not to. That if either of the Haught’s found out, it would be her funeral. That didn’t stop her though. She was determined to find some kind of dirt on them. To see if they had any weakness’s. Director Jeannie Lucado needed to end this. Some how some way. She was going to.

During the first year, Lucado found out that Nicholas Haught the Third and his wife had a child. A daughter. Any pictures or surveillance videos that she could get ahold of that contained Nicole Haught in them, all showed the same thing. Distressed. Scared. Eyes pleading for help. Body closed off. The director couldn’t figure out why the teenager was like that. Especially when a year prior, when Nicole was fifteen, she was somewhat happy. The videos would show her talking to people and enjoy being out, rather than avoiding anyone and everyone that would try to communicate with her. Nicole had to be the key. A gateway to destroying the Haught’s. What ever happened to her, caused her to change immediately.

Two years of working and following the teenager from afar, she knew Nicole didn’t want to be apart of her grandfathers business. Jeannie was going to confront her after she turned eighteen, but just couldn’t seem to find her alone. There was always someone there with her that worked for Haught Junior. So talking to Nicole about her family and what they actually did for a living, was going to be, if not impossible to do. Which did not settle well with Lucado.

About the time she finally had the chance to do so, the now young adult, had fled. And from word through the grapevine, both Haught Junior and his son, were furious. The words ‘traitor’ and ‘disappointment’ were not thrown around kindly. Lucado found out about the searches and even did her own as well. She wanted to be the one to find Nicholas’s daughter first. To protect her from what she knew, was a dangerous family. Unfortunately, she had just as much luck as the Haught’s did. Nicole Haught, literally vanished into thin air and as a FBI director, it only infuriated her more because she had lost her only leveraged to bringing down the most well known mob in the entire state of Texas.

Couple years later, there was a hit through the system. The one where you could only find in the federal databases. The director found out that the woman she had been looking for, had joined the service. Another thing she had heard through the grapevine, was the military pact that the Haught’s had. Lucado could only smirk and laugh at the fact that Nicole had outsmarted them. She was actually quite impressed in the fact that the young woman managed to do this and stay out of sight for so long. Not many people could get away with that. Not with someone as powerful as Nicholas Haught Junior constantly looking for her.

Another thing that she learned, was that Nicole’s records had become classified. Highly classified, which meant only so many people could access them. Unfortunately, Director Lucado wasn’t one of those people. Even with a warrant, no one was allowed to access those records without having the end results, being put into prison. The only way Jeannie could get ahold of those files was if she got permission from said person to look at them. The other way was to hack into the Pentagon data base but it was a federal crime which also meant going to prison as well. Though it followed under the protecting and serving, quite literally on both parts, it was still a crime to do. Which is exactly why Lucado did it anyways a few years later. It was a risky move but in order to find out where Nicole Haught’s whereabouts were, it was a necessity. The only fear that came to mind, was the Revenant’s Boss having the same idea.

Years later, it brings Lucado and her team to the current situations going on with the Revenant’s. Her team, a secret division known as Black Badge, were made up of four of the best agents she knew in the whole FBI system. Along with one guy who works in cybersecurity, forensic science and is also a lab technician.

The Director was sitting in her office when she started hearing someone yell. It was soft and faint due to her door being closed. She got up from her desk to find out just who was yelling throughout the offices. Just as Lucado was opening the door, a young man with curly black hair came busting in, practically knocking her onto the floor.

“Jermey, what is the meaning of all this.”

“He’s taken his wife!” The man said in between his heavy breathing.

Agents Eliza Shapiro, Xavier Dolls, Perry Crofte, and Rosita Bustillos, all came walking in as Jermey made his announcement. They knew something was going on when they saw a flash of a white coat speeding passed them in the direction of the directors office.

Director Lucado faced her team. Eyeing each of them slowly. Knowing that the case they’ve been investigating for quite some time had now taken a turn in which they weren’t expecting.

“Team, we’ve got work to do.”

**  
____________________**

 

_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 4:49 p.m. (EST)_

Vacationing in Australia and not having to worry about anything, made the trip a hundred times better for both Nicole and Waverly. It was carefree, relaxing, and most importantly, filled with adventures. The two of them decided to ‘live in the moment’. Going on different adventures instead of planning what they wanted to do next. Took the brunette a little bit of convincing from her Captain though. She was a planner after all.

From the moment Nicole told her where they were, she was already mentally planning everything she wanted to do. What she would eventually admit to her Captain, was that she was secretly hoping that this was the location that they were going to and she had done hours upon hours of research on ‘things to do in Australia’. The reason for admitting sooner than she had hoped for was because Waverly was literally listing off everything they could do without looking at a single brochure. It would of been fine and completely normal for the brunette do to that, if it wasn’t for the fact that Waverly hadn’t actually picked up any tourist guides or brochures since they arrived to the island.

Their adventures went from whale watching to deep sea diving. They went to different waterfalls and went through a couple of zoo’s and aquariums. The two most exciting adventures Nicole and Waverly went on was zip lining and skydiving. Originally the youngest Earp’s plan was to keep her feet on the ground but when her Captain reminded her about wanting to jump out of a plane, she silently berated herself for opening her big mouth about wanting to do something that crazy. Needless to say, the redhead along with her award winning dimpled smile and a promise that she would be by her side the whole time, was able to convince her girlfriend to go skydiving.

As the saying goes, ‘all good things must come to an end’ but for Nicole and Waverly, it felt like it was just the beginning. Despite the situation going on back home. Home. A word that meant two places for them, now meant one. Sure, to some people their relationship was going rather quickly though to them, they honestly didn’t see it or feel that it was.

The flight back didn’t seem quite as long as it did getting to Australia. Waverly actually got to fly the jet for more than just a few minutes. Neither women could contain their smiles. The youngest Earp was just so excited that her girlfriend was trusting her enough to take control of the aircraft. Nicole couldn’t hold back her smile when seeing how happy she had made the brunette. It was intoxicating. That radiant smile Waverly had that would light up the whole sky. Even brighter than sun. How couldn’t that smile not make Nicole Haught have one of her own.

When they finally arrive home, it was midday and to make things more confusing for them, it was the same day in which they left but also hours before they even took flight. Time change, yet again, is a funny and confusing thing. Especially when the both of them are tired. The original plan was to head over to Gus and Curtis’s to pick up Calamity Jane once they got into Purgatory. But with the time change, Nicole and Waverly weren’t expected to back until the following day. Which meant no one, including both the older Earp sister’s, didn’t know they were back yet.

The day the couple left Australia, was also the same day Willa was due to leave Purgatory as well. Again, due to the fifteen hour time change and neither of them thinking about that when they left, it made a difference on where they would go first. When they finally remembered and realized what time and day it was, that’s when they decided that it was probably best to keep quiet about them being home. Waverly truly didn’t want to risk running into her oldest sister and of course, Nicole was perfectly fine with having a nice and quiet evening with her girlfriend at home. It was perfect and relaxing. Which was just what they needed after a week full endless adventures.

For Nicole and Waverly, they were happy that they had the rest of the weekend to recuperate and readjust back to Eastern time. Once they got knowledge of the oldest Earp officially being out of Purgatory, the couple went about their normal routines that they usually did during the weekends.

When Monday came, Nicole had gone back to work. It took a little bit of encouragement and a whole hell of a lot of self control to actually leave her bed in the first place. Especially when she had a very naked Waverly snuggled up next her. The first day back wasn’t as bad as she thought it was going to be. It felt long yet somewhat relaxing. She loved being on vacation with her girlfriend but she also loved doing her job.

Throughout the day she got a text from Waverly. Stating that she would see her at Shorty’s. The brunette was working the late shift that night and like routine, Nicole always went to bar after getting out of work. Once she arrived though, she instantly felt like something was off. She couldn’t shake the feeling nor understand why she was feeling it in the first place. Forcing herself to push it aside, the redhead entered the room and stopped short. Blinking and rubbing at her eyes, trying to see if her eyes were playing tricks on her or not.

Glancing around the saloon, Shorty’s was pretty busy. But that wasn’t what made stop dead in her track. No. What did, was seeing Wynonna behind the counter serving drinks by herself. Gus and Curtis were walking back and forth from serving tables to the kitchen. Shorty himself was working in the kitchen, helping to keep up with all the food orders. All while checking to see where everyone was, there one person that she had yet to see. The same one who was suppose to be working the counter and not her older sister.

Wynonna spied the Captain and called out to her. “Where the hell is my sister?”

That question prompt Nicole to move closer to her. Concern was written all over her face. “What do you mean ‘where is she?’ Waverly isn’t here?” She managed to choke out.

“I wouldn’t be doing her job if she was.” Wynonna snapped back.

That feeling that Nicole had moments ago, came back full force. In a instant, she knew why she had that feeling. Waverly didn’t text her when she arrived to Shorty’s like she had started doing when the redhead got hurt a few weeks back and was staying with her to help her out. Her girlfriend also didn’t reply back to her ‘I love you’ text that she had sent almost two hours ago. The Captain thought it was weird. The brunette always answered her back and now it raised questions and whole lot of concern on where Waverly’s whereabouts were.

“Again, where the hell is my sister, Haught!”

**  
____________________**

 

_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Road to Purgatory; Ghost River, Maine — 1:08 p.m. (EST)_

Going about their normal routine usually meant going to Shorty’s and playing pool or darts. Which they did, but they also decided they wanted to let their inner child come out and enjoy the fresh two feet of snow that came down just days before they arrived home. At their house, the snow was untouched except for the driveway. They found out that Curtis had plowed it for them, in return for helping out so much during the month of December.  
  
Snowmen, igloos and forts were built and snow angels were made. Nicole found her old snowmobile in the shed that was off on the side of the house. Took a couple of hours to fix up but once she got it running, she convinced Waverly to take at least one ride with her. The brunette quickly realized that is was pretty hard to say no to her girlfriends smile. Especially if her dimples were prominent. It drove her nuts but in the end, the youngest Earp allowed it. She loved seeing that smile and would do anything just to keep seeing it. Even freezing her ass off and risking her life to Mother Nature. Dramatic yes, but Waverly still hated winter with a passion.

Saturday night at Shorty’s was an interesting one. Champ Hardy was being his normal pain in the ass self. Whenever Nicole wasn’t next to her girlfriend, he would automatically started flirting with Waverly. Acting as if what he did never happened. Once no one was paying attention, the blonde haired man would purposely touch her. Whether it was her hands, arms, or even her thighs. He also went as far as occasionally trying to grab her ass.

Waverly, knowing that she should of said something the first time Champ touched her, stayed quiet about it. Anytime she received the unwanted advances, she would just move away from him. Making it seem like she was trying to get a better view of the game of pool she was watching or a better view of Nicole. The reason for the brunette not telling her girlfriend right off about what was going on, was because she knew she could handle it. She does work in a bar and drunks touching her was nothing new. She tended to ignore it half the time. Also, because she truly didn’t want her Captain getting into a fight during their last few days together before going back to work.

But that was before Champ grabbed her ass from behind her and Nicole had saw the whole thing. Before the redhead could do any damage to the boy-man, Waverly had gotten into her personal space and was able to calm her down. Telling her that he wasn’t worth it and that they should just leave instead. The Captain didn’t like idea of leaving and letting him think that he had won, but the brunette was able to convinced her to leave. Stating that she wanted to go and spend the evening with her at home. Nicole knew her girlfriend was partial lying but ignored it. The rest of the night was ten times better at home than at the bar anyways.

Monday came and the youngest Earp was feeling refreshed. A week and half with Nicole with little to no distractions was exactly what she needed. Minus the situation with Champ. She got ready for work earlier than she needed to but she promised Gus that she would be there a few hours beforehand. Mondays had become busier and busier almost every week. Which was weird but she wasn’t going to complain. Not with the amount of tips she received.

It was a little after one in the afternoon when she started driving over to Shorty’s. Waverly had been on the road for ten minutes when she noticed a familiar vehicle on the side of the road. From the looks of it, it was broken down. A flat tire at least. The owner of said vehicle was standing just outside of it and flagging her down. Internally, she thought they could been able to do it on their own, but the goodness of her heart got the best of her and she pulled over like a decent human being should.

The brunette got out of her Jeep and walked over to the vehicle. “Do you need help, or a spare tire or even a ride back into town?” She asked.

“Thanks, Waverly. If you can a spare the tire I’ll pay you back.” The owner said with a smirk.

Waverly didn’t noticed it but nodded in response. She turned around and headed back to her Jeep. At this point, the brunette noticed how quiet the road was. Yes, her house was technically on a back road but was considered a main because people drove on it a lot. Yet there was barely any traffic on it at all.

Just as she was walking up to the back of her Jeep to retrieve her spare tire, someone grabbed ahold of her. One hand covered her mouth while an arm wrapped around her waist. Locking one of her arm’s in place and grabbing the other with their hand so it wouldn’t thrash around. She jumped at the contact and the person holding her pulled Waverly in tighter. The brunette struggled against them. Trying to gain any leverage to could possibly get. She managed to get her feet on the bumper and used it to push back in hopes of knocking the person off balance but it was no use. They stumbled back a a step and recovered quickly.

She tried to scream but it was muffled by the cloth that she didn’t noticed before. Waverly inhaled in attempt to scream again but the smell of chloroform filled her nostrils and lungs. _I should of stayed in the Jeep._ That was the last coherent thought the youngest Earp had before everything went black.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another cliffhanger! Anyone expecting that kind of ending?  
> I will try my best in getting the next chapter written faster than this last time. I can say that I do know where it’s heading in chapter 20!
> 
> FINALLY added our favorite Deputy Marshal! 
> 
> Also for those who are reading my other fic ‘And Then You Happened’, stay tune cause the next chapter will be upload tomorrow!


	20. Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some answers and maybe another cliffhanger! (Sorry!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING! This chapter had one homophobic term and some mild violence. Also, please PLEASE pay attention to the dates! Also remember the time differences.
> 
> As a remember: Houston, Texas is an hour behind Maine.

_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Copper Hotel; Houston, Texas — 7:45 p.m. (CT)_

Light. Dark. Light. Dark.

“Nice of you to join us, Miss Earp.”

Waverly opened and closed her eyes a few more times before officially keeping them open. Her body felt tired as if she had fallen asleep. Though she didn’t remember falling asleep in the first place. She lifted her head and tried to move around. Only to have her skin scream in pain due to it rubbing against the rope.

Then she remembered someone had spoken to her. A voice that the brunette didn’t recognize. She knew it was a man's voice by the deepness of it. The voice sounded calm but filled with sarcasm as well. For some unknown reason, that voice almost made her feel safe. Waverly thought that it kinda sounded like Nicole’s when she was aroused but the only difference was that it was much _much_ deeper than her girlfriends and it certainly wasn’t sexy.

Finally, Waverly looked up to see who had talked to her. Who, as it just dawned on her, knew her last name. The man before her was tall, lean, muscular, had dark hair and wore a suit. From the looks of it, the suit was expensive. Even the shoes he wore looked like they cost a lot. The suit itself was dark. The youngest Earp couldn’t quite make out the color because of the dim lighting but at the moment, she really couldn’t care less. What mattered, was that she was alive.

The word ‘us’ brought her back to reality. Waverly slowly lifted her head, noticing how stiff her neck was, to the man who had spoken to her. “Where am I?” The brunette finally asked.

“Your new home.” The man took a step towards her. The dim light above lit up the man's facial features. Allowing Waverly to get a better look at him.

Blue suit. Black dress shirt underneath. Shiny gold cufflinks. Red hair, oval face, brown eyes, a small birthmark high up on his cheekbone. Very similar to’s... _Shit! This isn’t good._

“I don’t think so.” Waverly said dryly. “Who the hell are you anyway?” She decides to act dumb. The shorter woman knew who it was, but figured to ask anyway. Safer for her too.

“Sweetheart, I’m your worst nightmare.”

“I’m not your sweetheart.” The brunette responded back sharply. Putting all the anger that she could muster behind every word. “Nor will I ever be.”

“You’re right. You won't be but from what I hear, you’ll end up being his.”

Waverly’s eyes shot up. That voice. _Her_ voice. _This can’t be happening. Again!_ The sound of that voice cut her like a razor blade. She wanted to say something. Anything. But her own voice was caught in her throat.

Stepping out of the shadows where the lights didn’t touch were three figures. One of them, Waverly recognized immediately and her tan skin went pale. Tall, long brown hair, distinctly feminine with a shit-eaten grin permanently etched on her face. Someone who is also supposed to look out for her, instead they are standing in front of her, doing absolutely nothing.

When Waverly locked eyes with the second figure, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Champ?” She whispered to herself.

Flashes of happened started to flood her mind. A truck with a flat tire. Her pulling over to help. Walking back to her Jeep to retrieve her spare tire only to be jumped from behind. The smell of chloroform. Waverly doesn’t remember anything after blacking out. She tried to but nothing came to her.

“How... what.. I.” The youngest Earp couldn’t fathom what was going on. Words escaped her. She saw the third person. Another male. Standing on the other side of her sister. He looked familiar, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

“What’s the matter, dear sister? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Why am I here?” Waverly manages to say. “Why are you two together?”

“Enough with family reunion questions.” The older man snapped. “What has my daughter told you about our family?”

“Who the hell is your daughter?”

“Nicole Haught.”

A shiver ran up the brunettes back. Waverly had to keep playing dumb or else she’d get hurt. “I don’t know who that is.”

“She’s your god damn dyke of a girlfriend.” Champ growls. His remark earned him a backhand across the face by the Boss.

“Keep your mouth shut while I’m talking.” The man turned back around to face Waverly again and began to walk towards her. Stopping just short of the chair that she was tied to. “Do you know who I am?”

 _A fucking psychotic murderer who just happens to be Nicole’s father, Nicholas Haught the Third?_ “Some asshole who decided kidnapped me..” _Good going, you idiot. Let's piss him off._ “No. Why don’t you enlighten me?” Waverly said sarcastically. _I am so getting beaten for that._  
  
Nicholas smirked at her while he brought his hand up to cup the smaller woman’s cheek. Waverly moved her head away then tried to bite the said hand. The man was quicker than the brunette and moved his hand away. While everything was happening with one hand, the Boss grabbed a fistful of hair with the other, yanking her head back roughly. The woman gasped loudly.

“You got quite the mouth on you girl. Speak like that again and this,” Nicholas yanked Waverly’s hair back again. Making her cry out in pain. “Will be the least of your issues.”

 _Tip number one: Think before you speak._ Waverly tried to keep her emotions in check. She didn’t want to show pain or cry for that matter. She had to be strong and right about now, she had to be fearless. The brunette knew what Nicole’s father was capable of and she certainly didn’t want to entice him any more than she had. Especially knowing that hair pulling was just the beginning of her pain.

“Now,” The Boss pulled Waverly from her thoughts by tightening his grip on her hair. Causing her to wince. “I will ask again. What has my daughter told you about our family?”

“I don’t know who your daughter is.”

Nicholas glanced down from the brunette's face and saw a shiny silver necklace around her neck. He reached up with the same hand that he used the first time to touch the woman with. The Boss gently ran his finger down the side of her neck, following the chain all the way to the opening of her shirt at Waverly’s chest. Lightly grabbing it, he lifted the chain. Revealing to silver dog tops.

_Oh, fudge nuggets! I completely forgot I was wearing those._

“Well, what do we have here. Waverly Earp and Nicole Haught. Oh and an I love you.” Nicholas smirked as he read the tags. “You still don’t know her, huh?”

He got up quickly, withdrawing the hand that held Waverly’s hair, along with ripping the necklace off her neck. Nicholas wrapped the chain around his hand, with the tags laying on the back but also being held by its chain. The brunette watched closely but in a blink of an eye, that same hand was hitting her face. The tags digging into her skin at the same time.

“Robert, turn on the phone and give it to me.” He ordered. The man Waverly didn’t recognize did what he was told.

The youngest Earp’s face hurt, including her left eye that she was sure would be bruised soon. The feeling of something wet ran down the side of her cheek. Sadly, Waverly knew what it was. The dog tags had left a gash on her face. She wasn’t sure how bad it was, but by the flow of blood running down was anything to go by, it had to be a good size wound.

The man, Robert, walked up to Nicholas and handed the phone over. The older man hit the home button and his face harden. He looked down at Waverly and shook his head. The brunette saw the phone and winced. “Don’t know who my daughter is?” He said again and chuckled darkly. “Interesting screensaver, you have Miss Earp. Considering it’s a picture of you in bed(with no clothes apparently but covered still up as well) with her.”

He showed the picture to Waverly. _Shit! Shit! Shit! Oh, fu..._ Nicholas’s hand came across her face again but this time it was the other side and he used his palm instead. It still hurt, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the first time. Instead of her cheek splitting open, it was the brunettes bottom lip. _Tip number two: Don’t lie to someone who has evidence to prove me wrong._

The Boss turned away from the woman tied to the chair. He whispered in the other man's ear who nodded in response. Afterward’s, Nicholas continued to walk out of the room in which the brunette was being held in. Waverly still didn’t know where she was or if she was even still in the state of Maine. Her only hope now was that Nicole noticed her missing and would come rescue her.

Once Nicholas was gone, Willa and Champ took a couple steps forward. “I still don’t understand why you two are together?” Waverly wondered.

“Because they made me an offer I didn’t want to refuse, babe.”

**  
____________________**

 

_ Monday, December 26, 2016 ~ Shorty’s; Purgatory, Maine — 9:32 p.m. (EST) _

After Wynonna and Willa entered the busy saloon, the older Earp walked over to the bar. She took the only empty bar stool that was left. On one side of her was a woman who was talking intently to a gentleman she figured was her boyfriend or date, at the least. The other side of the brown-haired woman was a man who looked to be a few years older than her.

The man had dark brown hair with a beard to match. He wore blue jeans that were dark in color and black shirt. Willa wasn’t sure if it was short or long sleeve due to the jacket he was wearing. The jacket though, the oldest Earp thought was a little odd to be sporting a dressy suit jacket in a bar within a town of Purgatory. She wanted to question it but held her tongue. Only because the man pulled off the look so well.

The two broke into a comfortable conversation and basically ignored everyone around them. Up until Willa heard the sound of her little sister's voice. It sounded pained yet angry. She turned around to see what was going on and saw that a blonde haired man had grabbed her arm. No respect for personal boundaries.

She sought out for Wynonna and saw that she wasn’t too far from the scene. Willa looked around again and found the redheaded woman, that was dating the youngest Earp, leaning against the wall by the kitchen. She too was watching intently. A second later, the redhead was moving towards the scene.

“Champ, please, you’re hurting me.” Willa heard Waverly say.

She redirected her attention back to her sister and the blonde. The guy was taller than her and had a ridiculous amount of tattoos on both arms. From the silence in the room and nobody else moving to take action, Willa figured that no one dared to mess with him. That was either a good thing or bad thing. At the moment, it didn’t matter. All she cared about was how Waverly’s girlfriend was handle the situation.

Another minute went by and the oldest Earp watched her sister try to punch the man in the face only to have failed. The blonde haired man grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her forward. Crashing the lips together in a hard kiss. Willa sat there, her phone now in her hand, recording, and watched the scene unfold. A smile on her. Wynonna had pulled Waverly back while the redhead grabbed ahold of man.

The redhead's movements were calculated and well thought out. Like she had done this for years. The strength she had was unbelievable. Everyone in the bar was shocked at how fast the redhead was able to pin the blonde haired man down on the table. Willa, on the other hand, wasn’t.

The video that she had just recorded was sent to the Boss. This was the cold hard evidence Robert was talking about and now she had it. There was no way she wasn’t going to make another mistake. It was now or never. It was her life or a reward. The answer was simple. Willa desperately wanted the latter of the two. Any participants who got in her way, be damned. This was her moment.

 **[Boss]:** Take action. Now! (9:37 p.m.)

Willa placed her phone down on the counter, text message still open for anyone to see. She turned her head just in time to find the man who had assaulted Waverly be thrown out of Shorty’s. The man next to her got up and headed straight for the door that led to the back alley. The oldest Earp smirked. Realizing she had indeed found Nicole Haught.

 

\+ + + + +

 

Champ stumbled a few steps after being tossed to the ground. He was infuriated. Not only had he lost a simple fight, he had lost to a woman. A woman who held Waverly Earp’s heart in her hands. It was disgusting and wrong. He should be the one dating her. Not some butch military woman. But the brunette never gave him the time of day and that was what pissed him off more.

As he walked past the alley, a man called out to him. “Rough night there, friend?”

“I’m not your friend.” Champ scoffed.

The blonde haired man started to walk away. “I can help you get that woman you want.”

That statement made Champ stop in his tracks. “How?” He asked.

“I have a plan if you’re willing to listen?”

“Who are you anyway?” Champ decided to ask instead of answering the question.

“Robert Svane. You and I have a similar problem that involves the redhead that took you down.” Robert watched the face of the blonde haired man, harden. “I need her and Waverly Earp is the ticket I need to get rid of her.”

The two men looked at one another for a pregnant moment before Champ asked. “What do you get out of it if I help you get rid of her?”

Robert thought for a moment. “A hefty amount of money. I’ll even cut you a deal as well but I need your name first.”

“Champ Hardy and you got yourself a deal.”

**  
____________________**

 

_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Copper Hotel; Houston, Texas — 8:05 p.m. (CT)_

“So you see Waverly, you’re the missing key.” Willa proudly said.

 _Missing key?_ The youngest Earp thought about it. Then it clicked. The brunette stared at them in shock. Champ, an asshole who just didn’t get the picture that she didn’t want him, made a deal with the devil so he could what he wanted. Willa, her own flesh in blood, was in on this deal. Not only helping the boy-man but to help find Nicole. It made Waverly sick. Her girlfriend had been on the run for years and now, Nicholas Haught knew where she was because of her. If Nicole never started dating her, she would still be safe.

Waverly took a deep breath and exhaled. She felt the need to say something. But the only thing that came to mind, was how much she hated them. Another wave of thoughts came crashing through. She smirked wolfishly.

“When Nicole finds me(and she will), I hope you all know what’s coming for you.” Waverly said harshly.

Willa walked swiftly over to her sister and gave her another smack to the face. “She has to find you first.” She snapped.

Waverly cried out in pain again. Willa just had to hit the side of her face with the gash on it. Causing it to bleed once more. The brunette watched her older sister reach into one of her back pockets. Pulling out a small rag. The older woman walked back towards Robert and took something from him. With her back turned, Waverly wasn’t sure what her sister was doing. Then she saw it.

A medium sized brown bottle. Waverly couldn’t make out the letters on the label but she wasn’t stupid. A rag and a bottle with the memory of the smell of those two combined is still fresh on her mind. She knew what was coming next and there wasn’t anything the brunette could do about it. Not while she was still bound to a chair.

The oldest Earp came back with the rag in hand and a shit-eaten grin on her face. Waverly took in a deep breath and held it. Willa covered her mouth with the rag and grabbed ahold of her hair to keep her baby sisters head steady. But that didn’t keep the brunette from fighting back. Moving her head from side to side trying to get the hand on her face, off, while still trying to hold her breath. Sadly, she couldn’t do it anymore. She became light-headed from not breathing and ended up passing out.

“Lights out, for now, baby sister.”

**  
____________________**

 

_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Road to Purgatory; Ghost River, Maine — 5:24 p.m. (EST)_

Dialing. Ringing. Voicemail. Repeat.

_Hi, this is Waverly. Leave a message._

Thirteen unanswered calls were made by Nicole. The oddest thing happened halfway through her call sessions. After the fifth call, instead of getting a ringtone, it went straight to voicemail. Her mind told her that Waverly’s phone had died, but for some reason, her heart told her otherwise. Deep down, the Captain had an extremely bad feeling. Her girlfriend always showed up to work on time and if she couldn’t, she would call ahead to let someone know otherwise. The brunette wasn’t the type of person to not answer a phone call either. Especially Nicole’s. Actually, the youngest Earp was so good about answering calls that if she was “indisposed”, she would somehow, magically, shoot off a text stating that she was busy and would call them back ASAP.

Wynonna, on the other hand, who had a couple more hours to panic about her little sister’s whereabouts, had about twenty-three unread text messages and six unanswered calls made. But that was before Nicole showed up at Shorty’s without Waverly at her side and had absolutely no conception where the brunette was. Texting became irrelevant while calling was substantial. If the older Earp wasn’t calling her sister on her phone, she would be using the redheads in hopes of Waverly answering her girlfriend's calls. But it was no use.

The moment the two of them realized that something was severely wrong, they left the bar as quickly as their legs would let them. They both had to shove people out of the way to get to the door. Wynonna ignored all the protests from the patrons waiting for their next drink. Even ignored Gus and Curtis when they both yelled out to her in concern as to what was going on. Both Nicole and the darker brunette wanted to explain but at that very second, they had other important matters to take care of.

Instead of splitting up, like they should have done, the two stayed together. Wynonna’s nerves were spiraling out of control and just wasn’t sure of herself to drive. Usually, the middle Earp was good at being under pressure but when it came to Waverly, all bets were off. Nicole, for the most part, was doing quite well. She took the situation as if it were one of her military exercises. Trying to stay calm and collected was extremely hard because the woman she loves was currently missing, but she knew she had to be strong. For both their sakes.

Whenever something was wrong, the first place Waverly would go to would have been the park. But after her and the Captain started dating, her go-to place became Nicole’s. So on instinct, that’s where the redhead went to first. Wynonna started to protest. Thought it would be ridiculous for her little sister to just stay where she was and not answer any phone calls. She wanted to check the park first because it was closer but when Nicole gave her a stern look that said ‘I’m the one driving and we’re doing it my way’ she didn’t bother to say anything else.

As the two got closer to Nicole’s place, the antsier they got. It was dark and the cold had already set in, which only made things worst. A million scenario went through the Captain’s mind but none of them came close to what really had happened. If she was honest with herself, she truly had wished the Jeep had broken down and her girlfriend walked back home. Accidentally leaving her phone in the locked up vehicle in which also accidentally leaving her keys inside as well. But that was not the case.

Nicole was the first one to notice it. One light flashing on the other of the road. A blinker. Not even the headlights were on, which was suspicious. She knew they should have been on but since they weren’t, the redhead decided to check it out.

“What are you doing? Wynonna cautiously asked as she noticed that they were pulling over.

Ignoring the middle Earp’s question, Nicole pulled over on the same of the road she was driving on instead of pulling up in front the vehicle, thinking it was safer to walk across the street. Not knowing what they were getting themselves into, she wanted to be prepared for the worst. The Captain quickly put her truck into park and practically threw herself into the backseat. Her truck might have been semi-new, but being in the military and also having a family that is the mob, meant she was always ready for anything. Which also meant that she made sure that her vehicle had storage under the backseat. The redhead lifted the seat and hit the small light that she had duct taped to the bottom of it. She then began taking out a few items.

“Put that on.” Nicole ordered. Tossing one of the items in Wynonna’s lap and grabbing the same thing for her self.

“What the hell is this?”

“Ballistic vest.”

“Ball-what?”

“Bulletproof vest, Earp. Now put it on. Also here.” Nicole pushed herself back into her seat whilst holding three things. Another vest and two nine-millimeter guns. She handed one them to the other woman. “Just in case.”

“Jesus Christ, Nic. All we’re doing is checking a vehicle. What could possibly happen?”

“Need I remind you I am a Captain in the Marine Core who has served overseas. I have seen things. Situations just like this and they don’t go over to well because people thought it was ‘no big deal’. Now if you don’t want to put that on, then you’re staying in the truck.” As Nicole talked, she took off her jacket and strapped on the vest and donned her coat back on. She then swiftly loaded the magazine into her gun, making a load clip sound and pulling the slide back to secure the bullets in place.

Nicole grabbed a small flashlight from underneath her seat and jumped out of the truck as Wynonna started to protest some more. Completely ignoring her again. She checked both ways before crossing the road quickly and quietly. The firearm was in her right hand, flashlight in her left, she raised them up as she came upon the vehicle. As she did, the Captain soon realized that it was a red Jeep. But not just any Jeep. It was Waverly’s.

From what she could tell, the interior was still intact. Nothing seemed out of place from the last time she was in it. Waverly had always kept her Jeep clean and that was how it stayed. No force entry’s, nothing missing, even the spare change her girlfriend keeps the cup holders were still there. What caught her attention though, was the back window. Nicole rounded the vehicle, not noticing that Wynonna had joined her. They stopped short. Checking the ground for any kind of signs of a struggle. There was, of course. But Nicole wasn’t going to say anything yet.

Wynonna, who was using her flashlight on her phone, saw something on the ground. She picked it up, examined it and then decided to sniff it. Regretting instantly. “Fuck. This thing smells disgusting.”

Nicole snatched it from the middle Earp’s hand and smelled it as well. “Chloroform.” She stated. The Captain glanced over to the Jeep’s back windshield, shining the light on it. She gasped at what she saw.

The darker brunette looked over too after hearing Nicole. Wynonna mouthed the words ‘the fuck’ as she saw the same thing the taller woman was seeing as well. She didn’t know what the first part meant but definitely understood the rest. On the back windshield, seven words were painted in black. Forming two small sentences. The middle Earp decided to read them out loud.

“I found you. Now I have her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you thought Robert stayed in Texas while Willa visited Purgatory.
> 
> Also, I will be posted sneak previews of this story on my tumblr. (@courtney-161994)
> 
> Twitter: @Courtney_161994


	21. Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guns, violence, and opps! Said to much!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE READ FIRST! Trigger warning is this chapter! There is violence in this chapter. ALSO! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Pay closely attention to the time stamps that I have in this chapter. To those who read my author's note, I asked if it would be confusing to do a time jump then go back to explain it in the next chapter like in Wynonna Earp Season 2 Episode 11. I DID do that. That time stamp is in bold, just so you are all aware of that. 
> 
> P.S: My name is Courtney and I am an ASS!
> 
> P.S.S: Sit down and buckle up for a fun ride! Enjoy! :P

_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Road to Purgatory; Ghost River, Maine — 5:25 P.M. (EST)_  
  
“FUCK!”  
  
Nicole quickly ran back to her truck with the middle Earp on her heels. Just as she opened the door, Wynonna turned her around and slammed her against the back door. The redhead looked down and saw nothing but fire in other woman’s eyes. She gulped. Knowing this wasn’t going to end well.  
  
The darker brunette gripped the front of Nicole’s jacket and got in her face. “I found you. Now I have her.” Wynonna repeated. “What the fuck is going on and who the hell has my sister.” She snarled.

The anger and the intensity behind Wynonna’s words made the Captain’s skin crawl. Nicole knew she took a second too long to respond because the middle Earp moved again. Stealing the gun out of her hand and pressing it into the underside of her jaw. The sound of the safety clicking back made the redhead jump. Throwing her hands up to surrender.  
  
“Okay. Okay. I’ll tell you what you need to know but first, you need to put the gun down and we’ll head over to my place. You pointing a gun in my face will not look good if someone drives by.”  
  
“How about I just shoot you instead!”  
  
“Kill me, and you’ll never see Waverly again.”  
  
“I’ll find her myself.”  
  
“You’ll die before you even reach her.”

Wynonna paused. She didn’t have a clue where to look for Waverly or who even took her for that matter. Also, Nicole didn’t even hesitate when saying she would end up dead, trying to find her sister as well. Sadly, she knew she needed the Captains help but needed the answers first. The middle Earp lowered the gun and took a step back. Handing the firearm back to the redhead.  
  
Just as Nicole went to push off the truck, Wynonna punched her square in the jaw. “That's for putting my sister in danger.”

The Captain nodded and proceeded to get into her truck. Wynonna followed suit, and the two finished the drive back to Nicole’s. Leaving the Jeep right where it was for the time being.

  
**____________________**

  
_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Nicole’s House; Ghost River, Maine — 5:37 P.M. (EST)_    

Before Nicole dived into her family history, she made a few phone calls so she could take emergency family leave. Her General wasn’t too overly pleased with the redhead taking more time off but granted it anyway. He knew an inexplicit version of what Captain Haught’s family did, and he honestly didn’t want to know any more than he already did. So when Nicole said she needed the emergency leave due to her family, he gave it to her. No questions asked.

Once the phone call was done, she finally faced Wynonna (who wasn’t exactly waiting patiently either). She was still calling Waverly’s phone and hoped that something would change. But it never did. The calls, once again, went to voicemail, and the darker brunette was left fretting about what was transpiring to her to little sister.  

Nicole dove head first into her families past. Telling Wynonna everything that she had said to Waverly a while back. The middle Earp freaked out. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. She knew something was up with the Captain but always stayed quiet. Only because her sister would have ignored her, and told her to butt out of her relationship. Now, Wynonna wished she hadn’t held her tongue. It might have saved her sister from being in the situation that she was in now.

Thinking about all the times she could have said something on top of everything that might happen to Waverly, made Wynonna snap. The flame that had subdued when they were by the Jeep had ignited within her again.

Nicole who was standing still while the darker brunette paced back and forth was caught off guard when Wynonna turned to on her, punching her in the face once again. But this time, it didn’t stop after one hit. She punched her again, causing the redhead to tumble back to the floor. The middle Earp straddled the redhead and continued to punch her. A few more hits in and the Captain finally had enough. She too started hitting back. Hard enough to bring Wynonna back to reality and dropping beside her on the floor.  
  
“Feel better now?” Nicole breathed out. Moving her jaw a bit to make sure it wasn’t broken.  
  
“Much... also if Waverly asks how you got a fucked up face, I plead the fifth.”  
   
“Tell that to your knuckles, Earp. Your ass is grass when she finds out.” The Captain chuckled.  
  
“We have to find her first.”  
  
“I'll find Waverly. I have to.”  
  
“We!” Wynonna corrected.  
  
“We do things my way and no going ‘all Wynonna’ either.”  
  
“Fine.” The middle Earp mumbled. “As long as I get to shoot something or someone.”  
  
“That I can work with.”

  
**____________________**

  
  
_ Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Federal Bureau of Investigation; Houston, Texas — 8:25 A.M. (CT) _

A whole week had gone by, and nothing significant had changed. Nicholas Haught had hidden his wife in an unknown location. Not even surveillance videos picked up where his SUV’s had gone. Though that was the weird part. Being a well-known mobster and having the connections that he had, surveillance’s were usually shut down when doing anything that involved the ‘business.’ That day though, it was like he wanted to be noticed.

Jeremy had gone over all of the video surveillance throughout the city. Even found a way to hijack the ones that were connected to the hotels and nightclubs that belonged to the Haught’s. None of them shown where Nicholas brought his wife to. It was substantial evidence, as long as they could prove that Shannon Haught got hurt before or after she got into the vehicle.

The rest of the team had gone to the library to find any other evidence there. They discovered that Shannon had been going to the library from time to time. She would use the computers, and that was it. Never took out a book or even picking one up for that matter. She never talked to anyone within the building either. Shannon acted skeptical like she was afraid of being caught by someone. Dolls and Shapiro, who did the interviews, jotted all of it down.

Bustillos and Croft ran all the computer servers to try to find anything that deemed important. They went through the network archives and ended up finding something worth investigating. They too jotted down the time and email so they could bring it to Jeremy. Hoping that he would be able to figure out the password.  
  
It took a couple of days, but Chetri finally figured out. Dozens of emails were sent to someone by the name of Liam Webster. Jeremy pushed a few buttons and found out it was her brother. Most of the emails were the same. Mentioning the searches, when they started and ended and if they found something or not. The last email though, that was saved in the drafts, was the most concerning. It was kept December thirtieth, two-thousand sixteen at two thirty-one in the afternoon. The email was cut short. Meaning Shannon had been caught during that time.

Within the email though, its contents were simple. A couple of sentences that stated the worst. Nicole Haught had been found, and her father was planning to use someone she cared about to get her to Texas. The plan to do so was unknown along with the name. So honestly, they were back where they had started. The waiting game to see if something would happen.

A few days later, bringing them to the morning of January tenth, was when the ballgame changed. Jeremy rounded the team up and Director Lucado to the main room that they always used to discuss their case. Saying that he had new evidence to show them. He started the video on the tv, and they all watched intently. A black SUV pulled up to the Copper Hotel. Two men and a woman got out and quickly went to the back of the vehicle. From the angle of the camera, they could tell that the men pulled out a body. A smaller woman who looked to be unconscious. Chetri ended the video after they all went inside the hotel. Nicholas Haught had done it again. Leaving his surveillance camera’s unsecured where anyone can hijack into it.  
  
“Do you have the names of those people yet?” Lucado inquired.  
  
“I’ve got a face recognition going right now for three perpetrators. The victim's face is harder to see, though. But that’s not all,” Jeremy said. “They left the hotel two hours later.”  
  
“Did they head in the same direction they took the wife?” Dolls spoke up.  
  
“Yes, they did.”  
  
There was a knock on the door, and Lucado’s secretary came in. “You have someone here that would like to speak to you.”  
  
“Tell them that I am busy and to come back later.”  
  
Before her secretary could answer back, another voice chimed in. “You might want to reconsider that Director Lucado considering you need me to take down my father.”

Jeannie snapped her head around to the new voice. There before her stood Nicole Haught. She had practically dreamed of this moment to happen but never thought it would. Apparently, something must have happened to bring Nicholas’s daughter to the FBI. That’s when it hit her. The realization of the email and the new video Jeremy had come across. Her father’s plan had officially gone into play.  
  
“Nicole Haught, I presume?”  
  
“Captain Nicole Haught and this,” Gesturing to a woman who was standing directly behind her. “Is Wynonna Earp. She is here to help us as well.” Nicole and Wynonna stepped into the room as the secretary left and closed the door behind her.  
  
“Alright then.” Lucado nodded. “This here is my team. Special Agent Xavier Dolls, Special Agent Eliza Shapiro, Agent Perry Croft and Agent Rosita Bustillos,” She pointed out each member of her team. “This here is Jeremy Chetri. He does everything from inside this building. He’s my best agent when it comes to cybersecurity.”  
  
“I recently was able to collect video surveillance of your father’s most recent kidnapping.” Jeremy stated.  
  
“Recent? Nicholas has taken a hostage?” Nicole questioned.  
  
 “Captain, I must inform you that Nicholas Haught has taken your mother as such and we are lead to believe that he has also taken her brother, Liam Webster,” Lucado said. “And most recently, as of last night, he has taken a woman. We don’t have names yet. There are three perpetrators involved, two males and one female. Jeremy, please show them the video.”

Agent Chetri played back the surveillance video for Nicole and Wynonna. A minute into it and the middle Earp gasped. The Captain looked at her with wide eyes as she too realized who they were watching on the tv screen. Of all the people to kidnap Waverly Earp, the darker brunette never expected this.  
  
“Why the fuck am I looking at Champ Hardy, my older sister, and her boyfriend?”  
  
“You know them?” Everyone but Nicole replied.  
  
“Yea and that girl they’re hauling into that building in my baby sister, Waverly.” Wynonna revealed.  
  
“And my greatest weakness!”

  
**____________________**

  
  
_Monday, January 9, 2017 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 9:21 P.M. (CT)_  
  
The lights to the basement flickered on, and the two victims tied to chairs looked up. Neither of them knew what time it was except that it was night time. The only light they had, had disappeared hours ago. Nicholas was kind enough to stop by for the second time that day to give them food and water. To be feed while being a hostage seemed pointless to them, especially if they were going to die anyway.

Shannon and Liam were treated fairly. Food, water, even bathroom breaks(after a very heated argument between husband and wife. That Shannon somehow won. Making Nicholas forgo on the glued ropes). To them, to be treated with such kindness made them scared more than they already were. They tried to figure out why Nicholas was keeping them alive. What plans he had in store for them. Yet nothing they came up with, compared to what happened next.

The door flung open, and Willa stepped in. Holding it open so Robert and Champ could drag in the body that was still unconscious. The brother and sister looked at one another then back to the woman being placed into a chair on the other side of Liam. The two of them wanted to know what was going on. Why another person was being held captive, but the other three people just ignored them. The people left, slamming the door the closed and forgetting the light on.

Twelve minutes later, Waverly started to wake up, groaning in the process. She slowly lifted her head and rolled her neck. She was tied to, yet again, another chair. Looking around the room, she knew that she was in a different place but where had became the question. When the brunette was done looking around in one direction, she was startled when she saw two people looking at her in the other. She noticed that they too were tied to chairs.  
  
“Please, tell me that one of you know where we are?” The brunette said. Surprisingly calm.  
  
“How are you not freaking out right now?” Liam questioned, curiously.  
  
“How are you not surprised to see me?” Waverly countered.  
  
“Touché.”

The three of them got acquainted with each other, not there was anything else for them to do. Waverly tried her best to be as invasive as possible. In fear of someone listening or watching them. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to trust Shannon or Liam for that matter. Even after finding out that the both of them had crossed Nicholas. Though she already knew that from Nicole telling her, but she wasn’t about to give up that information, nevertheless.

Deep down she knew Nicole’s mom and uncle wouldn’t say anything but that little voice in the back of her mind, told her to keep her mouth shut. Her girlfriend had warned her that no matter what the circumstances were, her family would always choose themselves if it meant they would survive. After talking to Liam and Shannon, the brunette wanted to believe that Nicole was wrong. That these two people would risk losing their lives to save her instead of throwing her under the bus in hopes of living longer. But that fear of Nicole’s words stayed in her mind.  
  
    During their conversations, Waverly found out that they were locked up in the basement of the crematorium. She also found out that this particular location was something only a few people knew about. They did regular business there, of course, but not many people even knew that it existed. The building was literally on the outskirts of the city, and the land was privately owned by Nicholas Haught the third. So naturally, anyone who knew him stayed away from the property. Those who worked for him were the only ones who knew about the small business. The only other person who knew about that place was her girlfriend.  
  
    With the crematorium being off the beaten path, meant it was a good place for a child to play or in Nicole’s case, train. Whenever her grandfather or father went to that location, they would bring her. Telling her to practice her hiding skills throughout the building and outdoors. The employees were to try to find her. To an adult, that made sense. Hiding was essential when it came to the ‘family business.’ But to a little kid, it was just a game of 'hide and seek.' Waverly took that bit of information and stored it away. Hoping that it could be helpful in some way. _It probably wouldn't be but who the hell knows at this point._

  
**____________________**

  
  
_Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 8:34 A.M. (CT)_  
  
Hours later and very little sleep, the three hostages were woken up by a loud bang. The door to the basement was slammed opened as two people emerged from the staircase. The sounds of chains dragged across the floor, and heart rates quicken to those who were tied to chairs.  
  
There was still a spare chair in the basement, and one of the men grabbed it and scraped it along the cement, making an obnoxious screeching sound that echoed throughout the room. He stopped once he met the back wall. The man then stepped up on to it and threw the chain around one of the beams a couple of times. Making it as secure as possible. The chain ran low along the wall, occasionally clanking against it.  
  
The sight and sound made Waverly, Shannon, and Liam quiver in fear. They had no idea what was happening or what was about to happen. In all the years that Shannon had been married to Nicholas, this was a first. She had an idea what those chains were for, but honestly, she didn’t want to be right. This was a whole new level for the Boss. Her husband never went this far. Didn't have the patience for it. Which made her think that Nicholas must if gotten some kind of Intel, which made her nervous.  
  
The second man, who held a devilish smirk on his face, took out a nine millimeter and fired it into the ceiling. Everyone but him jumped at the sudden gunshot. He laughed. Putting people on edge was one of his favorite things to do. Especially if it made, said people, give him the information that he needed. It wasn't the first time that tactic worked and he sincerely hoped it would again.  
  
“What the _hell_ was the point of that?” Waverly snapped. Her heart rate still beating rapidly.    
  
“Just making sure I have your attention.” Nicholas simply clarified.  
  
“And you had to _fire_ a gun to do so?” The brunette quipped back.  
  
Nicholas ignored Waverly's question. He looked at the other two people and noted that they were nervous. Something that the young woman evidently was not. Which reminded him… “Boy, untie her then chain her up.”  
  
“What! What for?” Waverly cried.  
  
“Now you show fear. Good.”  
  
The man that the Boss gave his orders to nodded and went about his task. He took out a pocket knife and started cutting the ropes, starting at the ankles. As he did so, the blade nicked Waverly’s skin. Earning him a few choice words from above. Once done, the man roughly pulled the youngest Earp from her chair and hauled her over to the wall.  
  
“I hate you, Champ Hardy.” Waverly seethed.     
  
“It’s okay, babe. I’ll win your affections soon enough.”  
  
“Still not my type.” She said flatly.  
  
As they got closer to the wall, Champ turned the brunette around, so she was facing him. Pushing her backward's until her back slammed against the wall. Waverly’s head bashed against it as well, a migraine instantly coming on. The blonde haired man made quick work of wrapping the chains around Waverly’s wrist. Making sure they were tight enough so she couldn't slip out of them. He stepped back onto the chair once more to pull the chains up, so they were above the shorter woman’s head. Champ pulled them so high that she was lifted off the floor. Waverly was just barely able to touch the ground with her tippy toes.    
  
The chain was the secured and Waverly was officially dangling in the air. She still had the capability of moving her legs. But unfortunately, that didn't last long either. Champ left her side for all of a minute before he was back and in her face. Not having use of her hands and arms weren't going to stop the brunette from trying to defend herself from the arrogant boy-man.

The second Champ got close enough, the youngest Earp brought her right leg up and kicked him straight in the balls. The man groaned and dropped to his knees. Waverly took this opportunity and quickly kicked him in the face. She watched the blonde-haired man fall to his side. Blood slowly trickling down from his nose.  
  
“That’s what you get for touching me, you shit-ticket.”  
  
“Nicholas, leave her alone!” Waverly heard Shannon cry out.  
  
Before the brunette could register the words that she had just heard, she lifted her head in time for Nicholas’s fist to connect with her own face. Two things happened at that moment. Her head hit the wall again, and she felt, along with hearing, her nose crack. Waverly could feel the tears brimming at the back of her eyes, so she took a deep breath and bit her lip in hopes of keeping them at bay a while longer.      
  
Sadly, Nicholas didn't stop after that. He punched her again in the face, and as Waverly tried to kick him as well, the Boss was able to grab her leg before it made contact with him. The older man had a diabolic grin on his face as he moved down to take hold of her foot. Suddenly, the man twisted her ankle sharply, and the woman screamed out in pain as the bones snapped in half. Nicholas dropped the brunette's leg and moved to take the handcuffs Champ had grabbed. Two clips later, and Waverly’s ankles were cuffed together.      

No obstacle was going to stop Waverly from trying to protect herself. Not even being chained to a wall or being handcuffed by the ankles was going to stop her. She used the same momentum that she had used on Champ to use against Nicholas. When the Boss stood back up, the brunette brought her legs up and kicked straight into the man’s stomach. Waverly cried out once more due to the pain in her ankle.  
  
The force of the kick was just hard enough that the Boss stumbled to the floor. The action of it though only pissed him off. Nicholas got up faster than Waverly had hoped for and he descended for her. The brunette blinked, and before she knew it, the Boss was leaning into her, an arm across her chest, and had a small knife pushing into her skin in her neck. Waverly froze. This was something that she had not foreseen and caught her completely off guard. The youngest Earp expected a gun, knowing it was more his style, but not a switchblade.       
  
“Try that again or this,” Nicholas growled as he ran the blade lightly across her neck, cutting the skin a bit to make his point. “Will be slicing your throat open and my traitor of a daughter won't have to worry about finding you.” He smirked when he saw Waverly swallow hard. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t show her just how capable I am of torturing you.”  
  
The Boss took a step back and again ran the switchblade across her skin only this time, it was Waverly’s right cheek. She could feel the blade cut into her face. It was slow and painful, but she managed to hold back her tears. The brunette looked up to see Nicholas’s face and saw nothing but hate in his eye. Waverly was so focused on what the Boss was doing to her that she never bothered to pay any attention to whether or not Champ had left.  
  
“What the hell are those for!” Liam’s voice cracked.  
  
“Nicholas, you can't be serious!” Shannon feared for Waverly.  
  
The youngest Earp’s eyes snapped forward and saw Champ walking back with a small tank, and a metal rod in one hand and a bag of sand including rope draped over his shoulder. Unfortunately, Waverly knew what was coming next, and it wasn’t going to be fun. Hardy dropped the bag with the rope tied to it and handed over the other items to Nicholas.  
  
The rope that was attached to the sandbag had enough excess of it to tie around the links of the handcuffs. Waverly, of course, tried kicking Champ again but he ended up hitting the ankle that was broken causing her to stop due to the pain. Now the younger woman was utterly restrained but, however, not entirely defenseless. She could still head-butt the two men if they got close enough, which the brunette was secretly hoping that would just so she could do that.  
  
“Since you believe that you're so tough taking us on, let's just see how tough you are against this.” The Boss held out the tank and rod in front of Waverly.  
  
"No, please don't!" Waverly begged.  

Nicholas handed back the blowtorch to Champ who turned the nozzle and started heating up one end of the rod. Waverly pleaded with them, but the two men ignored her. Once it was blaring red, the Boss reached out and touched the brunette with the heated end, burning her. The basement was then filled with her screaming. 

                   
**____________________**

  
  
**_Wednesday_ _ ** _,_** January 11, 2017 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 10:22 A.M. (CT)_**  
  
Nicole walked through the door of the basement and took in her surroundings. The first person her eyes landed on was Waverly. She stood with her hands chained above her head. The brunette looked tired. Her skin drained from its usual bronze color. The Captain moved her eyes from her girlfriend to the other subjects in the room. Two of which were tied to chairs while another stood off to the side.  
  
“Finally come to your senses, Nicole, or are you here to die with the rest of them?”  
  
“I’ve thought about it for quite a while actually. I’m done running, and I’m here because I’m finally ready to be apart of the business, Father.”

Nicholas smiled. For years he wanted to hear those words come from his daughter's mouth and now that he had, he couldn't be happier. Then, a swarm of thought invaded his mind, and his face hardened. Spoken words are not good enough. Actions will always speak louder than words.  
  
“Nicole, you can't be serious!”  
  
“This isn't the life you want!”

Both Waverly and Shannon yelled at the same time. Nicole darted her eyes between the two women. She squared her shoulders and held her head up high. The Captain couldn't let them get to her. She couldn't let them change her mind. Which meant, she had to ignore everything that they said. Ignore anything that would make her change her decision to join her father and become the next Boss when the time came.  
  
Nicholas took a step forward. “Prove to me that you're ready, then.”  
  
“How do you a pose I do that, Sir?” Nicole questioned.  
  
“With this.” The Boss took out his handgun and offered it to his daughter. Daring her to take it.  
  
Nicole nodded and grabbed the gun. She stared at it for a moment then allowed the weight of it to drop her hand a bit. She squeezed the grip tighter and lowered her arm to her side.  
  
“Her.” Nicholas pointed to Waverly.  
  
“Yes, Sir.”  
  
Nicole walked forward and stopped a few yards away from her girlfriend. She raised her arm and pointed the gun directly at Waverly’s head. Breathe in. Breathe out. She closed her eyes as her pointer finger touched the trigger.  
  
“Nicole, baby, please don’t do this. I know you love...”  
  
*P-Taff*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay another cliffhanger! Did I mention I'm an ass yet! Haha 
> 
> Please yell at me in the comments! I SO deserve it!


	22. Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynonna is being Wynonna. Nicole is boss but internally not so much. Waverly is... snarky? 
> 
> P.S: I am putting in a trigger warning. So please take note of that and tread lightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I wanted to update my other fic and I also wrote another one for the EFA Fic Challenge.
> 
> This chapter was surprisingly easy and fun to write. It is also the buildup chapter before it brings us to the ending of twenty-one. Please take note, I did change the date on the last part as well. Instead of Thursday it is now Wednesday. It worked better with this chapter. When you read it, you'll know why. 
> 
>  
> 
> Also, I'm an ass again.

_ Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Federal Bureau of Investigation; Houston, Texas 10:09 A.M. (CT) _

Nicole, Wynonna and the Black Badge team were strategically setting everything up to find Waverly and rescue her. They all knew it was going to be difficult due to not identifying the location yet, in which the youngest Earp, Shannon, and Liam were held. All they did know was that they needed to find the said location and needed to do it quickly.

The longer the three hostages were with Nicholas, the more likely they were to get hurt, or worse. Nicole didn’t want to think about what her father could be doing to her girlfriend. Just the thought of him being near Waverly made her sick to her stomach. Unfortunately, right now, there was nothing she could do about that. The Captain had to keep pushing forward instead of losing herself to the thoughts worming their way into her mind. She needed to be strong and fearless for her girlfriend, not running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Like Wynonna.

The middle Earp was not taking the news of her oldest sister being apart of her youngest sister’s kidnapping well. The moment Wynonna saw Willa on the TV screen was the same moment she started freaking out. Nicole couldn’t blame her either. If she had any siblings and had found out that were apart of a mob and helped kidnap another family member, she’d freak out too. But at the same time, her father did precisely that. It didn't phase the redhead only because she knew Nicholas would have done it anyway. One of the many wonders of growing up and finding out about the ‘family business.’

With Wynonna ranting on and on, it became even more difficult to do anything. The Earp’s voice managed to echo throughout the BBD office. So with the new sound vibrating off the walls in a room that is usually quiet, all of the agents had a harder time focusing. Even the Captain had a hard time, but for her, it wasn’t based on the surrounding sounds. For Nicole, again, it was managing to keep her mind from wondering about the endless possibilities of what could be happening to Waverly.  
  
“Wynonna, shut up! Bitching and complaining ain't gonna solve anything or help get Waverly, my mom or my uncle back. So you have two options. You can either shut your trap and be useful, or I will duct tape your mouth and make you help us. Take your pick, Earp.”

After Nicole’s light threat to the middle Earp, who went with the better of the two options, Wynonna finally calmed down some. She was still fuming with anger but decided to bottle it up for now. She could use it later. Nicole did promise her that she could shoot something or someone. Consciously touching peacemaker, Wynonna smirked. Her gun was fully loaded and right about now, three of those bullets had names written on them. _Fuck family at this point. Well, except Waverly of course._  

Nicole and Lucado were finally coming up with a plan. They needed to tap into all of Houston’s security camera’s to get a location on Nicholas. Once they knew, they then needed to pinpoint where, Willa, Robert and Champ were. Apart from locating all of them, the Captain and the Director somehow had to collect all of the names of those who work for Nicholas Haught. Fortunately, the redhead knew how to get those names, but unfortunately, it meant going back to the place where it all began. Home.  
  
“So here’s the plan. Jeremy, you tap into the security cameras including the ones connected to my father's house. I need you to make us look invisible once Dolls, Bustillos and myself are inside. Director Lucado, you, Crofte, and Shapiro, you’re all going to hang back in case we have unexpected visitors. My grandfather was a smart man and had my parent's house wired. Meaning there are trip wires throughout the entire house. If disabled incorrectly, then this mission is a bust, and the hostages are dead. We get in and get out as quickly as possible.”  
  
“Shouldn’t we be focusing on getting my sister and _your_ mom _and_ uncle, instead of retrieving some book, Haught?”  
  
“Look Wynonna, I get it. And believe me, I am focusing on Waverly and my family, one hundred ten percent. But in order to save them, completely, I need that book, so I know who works for Nicholas Haught, and then I can put all those scumbags in prison where they belong, and so no one else can take over. I’m ending this once and for all. No one else needs to die because someone needed a way to survive then messed up by accident. My father finds reasons to kill people, and I’m not going to let that happen anymore.”  
  
The only thing Wynonna could do was nod in response. She had never heard Nicole speak with such determination, conviction, and strength before. “So what do you want me to do?”  
  
“You and I both know if anything happens to you while on my watch, Waverly will want to kill me-”  
  
“So you’re having a bunch of FBI agents babysit me while you play hero?” The middle Earp cut the Captain off before she could finish her sentence.  
  
Nicole sighed. “Look, who would I rather piss off? You or your sister?” She pointedly looked at the darker brunette.  
  
“Point taken... Aye aye, Captain Haught!” Wynonna said with a mock salute then turned to face the everyone else in the room. “Sup, losers! Guess you’re stuck with me! So let's get this show on the road. I’ve got me a sister to save another one to kick the shit out of!”

Director Lucado and all the agents had their eyebrows raised and stared at Wynonna curiously. They weren’t sure how to responded back to her and somehow figured that silence was the better option. At least that’s what they thought.  
  
“Don’t look at me with that tone of voice... come now, chop chop. We’ve got things to do, people to see. No time a-wastin'.” The middle Earp left the BBD office and was already halfway down the hall by the time she had finished talking.  
  
“Is she always like that?” Rosita asked.  
  
Nicole snorted and chuckled then became serious. “Only when it comes to things that are important to her. Now, gear up everyone. We’ve got work to do.” At that, everyone grabbed their gear bags, and all headed towards the elevator to leave.   

**____________________**

  
  
_Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 10:24 A.M. (CT)_  
  
“Enough Nicholas! You’re going to kill her if you don’t stop.” Shannon cried.

The two of them had been at it for almost two hours. Waverly had stopped screaming roughly fourteen minutes ago due to her voice giving out from yelling so much. Yet, the Boss continued to torture her anyway. The silent screaming made it better for him. Knowing he burned the snarky-ness right out of the younger woman.

The brunette wouldn’t stop talking and would not stop giving snarky comments. ‘Is that the best you got?; My stove gives better burns than you. Fuck, even my comebacks give better burns.; If you’re trying to leave a mark, you’re doing a terrible job. I think you need to get pointers from your daughter. At least her marks stick around for a week.’ If only it stopped there. ‘Are you even trying? The only reason why I ask is because Nicole can make me scream louder than you and you’re legitimately burning me.; Do you need pointers on this? You seem a little out depth here. I bet Nicole could do a better job than you.’   

At some point, Liam and Shannon were begging Waverly to stop talking. ‘Please stop egging him on.; Are you purposely pissing him off more?; Why are you doing this to yourself?; Do you really want to be covered in burn marks?; Seriously, what is wrong with you?’

After few minutes had gone by, Waverly had finally made some movements with her head as well as softly groaning. Her body felt like it was on fire, figuratively and at that rate, might as well been literally. The clothes she was wearing were burned off a while ago, minus her bra and underwear. Nicholas was kind enough to leave her some dignity. But at that point, it didn’t matter. The brunette was in so much pain, she didn’t care anymore. Sadly, she was at the point where dying seemed like best idea anyone could offer, and it hadn’t even been a full twenty-four hours since she was kidnapped. At least she didn’t think so. Being knocked out and tortured for a while made her lose a sense of time. _God, this utterly sucks balls._  
  
“Finally had enough, I see.” Nicholas waited to see if the younger woman would have some kind of comeback or not and when she didn’t he continued. “Good. Now that I’ve burned some sense into you, maybe you’ll be some use for me.”  
  
“Like... what?” Waverly choked out.  
  
“I need my daughter here, so I need you to give her a message for me.”  
  
“Stupidly letting me go? Not the wisest decision on your part. But I’ll take it.”  
  
“It’s cute that you think that. But no, not a chance.” The Boss reached into his jacket and pulled out her phone. He tapped the screen a few times and unlocked it. He smirked devilishly when he recalled the moment he figured out the brunette’s password. His smirk turned into a grin when he remembered pulling out the dog tags and used the dates on them to see if Waverly was naïve enough to keep such information on her. Apparently, she was. Pulling himself from his own thoughts, Nicholas tapped on the camera app. He switched it from camera to video instantly and held the phone up, so it was showing most of Waverly’s body. “We are going to send my daughter a little message to motivate her to find you faster.”   

**____________________**

  
  
_Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Haught’s Residence; Houston, Texas — 10:43 A.M. (CT)_  
  
Two blacked out Chevy Tahoe’s pulled up a block away from the Haught’s household. The first one held Director Lucado, Crofte, and Wynonna. The second one had Nicole, Bustillo’s, and Dolls. Shapiro tagged along with them in case if things went south and they needed ‘getaway’ driver. The Captain, of course, allowed it knowing it was the logical thing to do. It was actually a piece of her plan that she was missing and openly acknowledged it. Thanking Shapiro for offering at the same time.

Nicole checked in with Jeremy through her earpiece to make sure all systems were a go. Once she was told she was in the clear, Dolls, Bustillos and the Captain quickly got out of the vehicle and made their way to the house. All the security camera’s had been switched over, so when the three of them reached the house, they were invisible.  
  
The moment of truth had come, and the Captain grabbed the door nob and turned it. _“All of the security systems have been turned off, and I made a quick sweep through the surveillance. Nobody’s there, so you’re good to go.”_ Jeremy said in her earpiece.  
  
“Thanks, Jeremy... We have about two minutes before my father is notified about the systems being down, so let's do this!” Nicole ordered. The other two agents nodded and took out their firearms. You can never be too careful when walking into Nicholas Haught’s house.

The three of them swiftly made their way through the living room, and down a small hallway. Nicole ignored the tight feeling in her chest. It had been eight years since she was last inside her family home and she never thought she’d be there again. But instead of being there because her father forced her to be, the redhead was there to end everything her family ever worked for. As long as the Boss’s safe was still inside…

Bingo! Nicole found her father’s office, and her eyes immediately landed on the small safe behind the desk. The Captain practically ran over to it. Luckily she remembered the code. Not that she suppose to know it, but when she was seventeen, Nicholas had her get into the safe once. Nicole was allowed to open it for ‘emergencies’ only and now, felt like an emergency. At least to her, law enforcement and all of Texas anyway. After opening the safe and grabbing the medium size journal, the redhead slammed the door closed and gave the signal to Dolls and Rosita to turn back.

As they stepped outside the front door, Nicole’s phone went off. She knew it was a text message just by the song that was playing. The only problem was that the song that was going off made her freeze in place. The text message was from Waverly.  
  
All it took was a split-second to make the Captain’s plan go from good to bad. Actually, it was good to worse. She hesitated but reached for her phone anyway. It was like Nicole was in slow motion. Everything around her seemed to stop. Even the time on her phone didn’t change, though she knew it had been a whole minute since grabbing her cell and holding it out in front of her.      
  
“Red-Haught, we need to go!” Wynonna called from the SUV.

Nicole nodded in response. Her voice was caught in her throat, and her feet were cemented to the ground.  She noticed that Dolls and Rosita were already at the other vehicle and decided to refocus back on her phone. The redhead took a shuddering breathe when she finally opened the text message. Her second breath was lodged in the back of her throat as if the Captain was choking, or being chocked. Both worked.

The text message was a video, but not just any video. It contained Waverly, and by the looks of it, Nicholas had already gotten to her. Nicole reluctantly tapped on the message, and the video began to play. The Captain was utterly frozen in place when she saw Waverly chained to a wall.  
  
_“Nicole, your father thinks I have something to **hide... And** the answers he **seeks,** he’ll never **find.** Because you know **me,** I wouldn’t lie if it meant I would get hurt. You only have so much time before it’s too late.”_ Waverly’s voice sounded tired, broken and most of all, filled with pain.  
  
_“Haught, why am I hearing my sister’s voice right now? What are you watching?”_

Nicole ignored the voices coming into her earpiece. All she could hear was Waverly’s voice. How broken and tired it sounded. The other thing the Captain noticed about her girlfriend was that she was only in bra and hopefully her underwear along with her body being covered with burn marks. Waverly’s face was also beaten and bruised. There was bloodstained along her small frame from the burn marks and lacerations. The entire scene was disturbing. The redhead could feel her stomach starting to turn and whatever contents she had in it, threatened to come up.

The camera started to move and had gotten closer to Waverly. The thing the Captain heard was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and her girlfriend yelping. Nicholas had just hit her for some reason.  
  
_“Shut the hell up. That wasn’t the message I wanted you to give.”_ Well, that explains why he hit her. Nicole thought. The camera then turned around, and she became face to face with her father. Well, so to speak. She ripped out her earpiece knowing what was about to be said was for her ears only. If she was being honest with herself, Nicole didn’t want Wynonna hearing it either. _“Hello, my traitor of a daughter. Appreciate what I’ve done to your little girlfriend? What you’ve seen, is only the beginning. Oh, I almost forgot.”_ There was more movement in the video for a couple of seconds, and when it stopped, it landed on her mother. _“Say hello to your mother and,”_ The camera glided over to another person. _“Your uncle, Liam.”_ Nicholas turned the phone once more, so it was facing him again. _“They're both as traitorous as you. Absolutely disgusting how they wanted to help you.”_  
  
Liam’s voice broke out. _“Nicole, he hid us at the-”_ The sound of a gunshot played through the Captain’s phone followed by a thud and screaming.  
  
_“Liam!”_ Nicole heard her mother scream.  
  
_“And now I just wasted a perfectly good bullet on your worthless brother, Shannon... Nicole, you have twenty-four hours to find your mother and your precious little girlfriend before I kill them too. Clocks ticking.”_ With that, the video ended and Nicole closed out of the app. She put her phone in her back pocket and took the breath that she knew that she had been holding.  
     
Closing her eyes lids and taking another deep breath, Nicole slowly reopened her eyes, looked up and found blue ones staring back at her. “You okay, Nicole? You all of sudden look paler than a ghost, and that’s saying something, cause you had already looked whiter than paper.”  
  
“Interesting comparison, but yea, I’ll be fine.” The Captain lied and avoided making eye contact with Wynonna.  
  
“Who text you?”  
  
Nicole’s head shot up, and her eyes went comically wide. “What?”  
  
“You were staring at your phone for almost five minutes straight, and I don’t think I saw you breathing. So what had you so caught up that you completely forgot that we had to leave like ten minutes ago.”  
  
“Shit. It’s nothing to worry about right now. I’ll show you when we get back to the BBD office. It’s something everyone needs to see. But like you said, we need to hurry. So let's go.”

**____________________**

  
  
_Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Federal Bureau of Investigation; Houston, Texas — 11:19 A.M. (CT)_  

The ride back was quiet. Even with Wynonna probing the Captain with questions.  The middle Earp wanted to know what Nicole was watching and who sent it. Along with why she took out her earpiece just after hearing Waverly’s voice and someone else’s she didn’t recognize. The darker brunette only got more pissed off when Nicole didn’t answer.

The redhead just stared out the window, lost in her own thoughts. She didn’t want to think about the video, but it was hard not too. Her girlfriend was being tortured to death, her mother was tied to a chair, and Nicholas killed her uncle with absolutely no shame at all.

Nicole wanted to stop the vehicle. Kick the agents and Wynonna out so she could go searching for Waverly and Shannon. But the thing was, she didn’t know where to start. The cement wall that Waverly was chained too was just that, a cement wall. She didn’t recognize it. All the Captain knew was that her girlfriend and mother were being held in a basement. Her only issue now was to figure out which business the cellar belonged too. It couldn’t be that difficult to figure out, right? Nicholas Haught only owned eight firms. How hard could it be?

Surprisingly, pretty hard. Eight almost nine years of not seeing those buildings really did put a damper on things. Nicole barely remembered what the hotel rooms looked like. Hell, she was lucky enough that she ever stepped foot into the casino’s and nightclubs considering she was a teenager at the time.

Once everyone was back in the BBD office, the redhead handed her phone over to Jeremy. He looked at her curiously, but once Nicole told him that there was a video that all of them needed to see, he nodded his head and hooked the cell up to the tv. The Captain turned to faced Wynonna and the agents. She didn’t want to show the video her father sent her but knew it was the right thing to do.  
  
“My father has sent me a video,”  
  
“What!” Everyone yelled.  
  
Nicole held up one of her hands and restarted. “My father has sent me a video and used Waverly’s phone to record and send it to me. That was what made me freeze back at his house.”  
  
“Why not video chat or call you instead?” Perry asked.  
  
“We would have been able to track him down that way, which is obviously what he doesn’t want! At least I don’t think so?” Jeremy answered. Nicole nodded in agreement.  
  
“Anyway, the video he sent is something you can not unsee.” The redhead said directly to Wynonna.  
  
The middle Earp sighed. “Show it. I could use some more fuel to the fire.”      
  
“All right, Jeremy. Please, play it.”

Small gasps and a few ‘oh my god’ were heard throughout the room. Once again, Nicole’s stomach was in a knot. She glanced over to Wynonna and saw the exact same thing happening to her as well. The darker brunette had her hands on the edge of the table, clenching it for dear life. The middle Earp’s fingers had turned white, and her arms started to shake from the intensity of her grip. Nicole wanted to pry the woman’s fingers away, but she knew it was what was grounding Wynonna from breaking down entirely.

There was something about Waverly’s message that Nicole didn’t notice the first time. It sounded cryptic and puzzling, yet clear all at the same time. So the Captain thought about the message. Then it clicked. Her girlfriend's words was a message inside another one. Nicole couldn’t help but break out into a smile. _Brilliant, baby. Absolutely brilliant._  
  
“Your girlfriend, _my_ sister, is being tortured and you’re smiling right now? The fuck, Haught?”  
  
“I am a super brain, and I have no idea what she is talking about!” Jeremy exclaimed; Referencing to Waverly’s cryptic message.

Everyone in the room eyed Nicole suspiciously. Trying to figure out what was going on inside her mind. The smile that was etched across the redhead's face was a little unnerving. They could practically see the gears rotating in her head. If the Captain would just voice her thoughts, it would make everyone feel less intimated by the smile.  
  
“Are you going to share with the rest of the class what it is that you figured out, Captain Haught or do we have to figure it out on our own?” Director Lucado said sarcastically.  
  
“Brilliant.” Nicole breathes out. Just barely audible for everyone to hear. “She sent me a message.” She said louder.  
  
Nicole glanced around the room and saw the blank expressions on everyone’s faces, including Lucado. All the agents looked as confused as Wynonna, but in a moments notice, the middle Earp pulled a smile that matched Nicole’s. Then, she started laughing. _Of course, Waverly managed to send Nicole a message. It wouldn’t be very Waverly if she hadn’t. But what the hell does it mean?_  
  
Sighing at the realization that nobody else in the room was picking up on the fact that the youngest Earp had given them critical information, Nicole decided to take matters into her own hand. She went over to Jeremy, asking to take over the computer, and restarting the video. The Captain stopped it periodically and went over to the whiteboard to jot down the word she had paused at. The words HIDE AND SEEK and FIND ME were now on the board.  
  
“That’s your girlfriend's message? Not to be disrespectful or anything to her, but how is that supposed to help us find her. I mean, she’s telling us to play a game of 'hide and seek.' Isn’t that what we’re doing anyway?” Shapiro asked gently but laced with sarcasm.  
  
“Exactly! But you have to remember, this message isn’t for you. It’s directed towards me.  My mother must have told Waverly about some of my childhood memories because that message, told me exactly what building they’re hiding in.”  
  
“Care to elaborate?” Dolls interjected before anyone else could.  
  
“Back when I was a kid, I use to play hide and seek at one of Father businesses. This particular building was a few miles from the city, literally off the beaten path out in the middle of the woods; which is surprising for Houston. Anyway, it was the game my father wanted me to play knowing it would help train me for ‘the family business’ for when the time came for me to learn about and take part in it.”  
  
“So what’s the business called?” Lucado questioned.  
  
“Phoenix Crematorium.”

Wynonna pulled out her phone and rapidly headed towards the door. The Captain, who knew what the middle Earp's intentions were, just as quickly followed her.  Unfortunately though, instead of grabbing her like she wanted, she was greeted with a door slammed in her face. She glanced over at Dolls and gave him an apologetic smile.

Bowing and shaking his head, Dolls moved around Perry and left the room. A few minutes later, there was yelling throughout the building. Well, more like swearing than anything else. Nicole peeked out the door and saw Wynonna thrown over the agent’s shoulder, along with hearing everything the woman was saying.  
  
“Put me down, you asshole!; What gives you the right to manhandle me, huh?; Are you made of steel because you’re not even flinching when I’m hitting you.; You know, if it weren’t for the fact that I’m pissed off at you for stopping me from saving my sister, this would be kinda hot.” Wynonna snorted at her own pun. “Haha, Haught! Get it? Cause Nicole’s last name is pronounced the same as h.o.t.” Xavier shook his head but couldn’t help the small smile on his face knowing the darker brunette was trying to make fun of the Captain in light of the situation. “Oh come-on, that was funny! Seriously, nothing? Are you a robot or something.”  
  
“Thank you for getting her, Dolls,” Nicole said as Xavier walked back into the office and placed Wynonna back on her feet. “Now, Wynonna, we can’t get your sister yet.”  
  
“Why the fuck not?”  
  
The Captained signed loudly. “Because, as much as it pains me to say this, but we still need to find three more people who are a tad bit more important than she is. Plus, it’ll give you a chance to punch someone other than me.”  
  
“I do hate it when you’re right, but right now, I like where this is going.” Wynonna clapped her hands together. “All right, let’s find the airhead, the douchebag, and my shit ticket of a sister that he’s dating. I’m itching for a fight, and it damn well better be with Willa.”  
  
Everyone went back to work on finding the oldest the Earp sister, Robert Svane, and Champ Hardy. As much as Wynonna wanted to call Willa, she knew she couldn’t. She didn’t want to tip her older sister off that she was in Houston and mess up the whole plan.  
  
As everyone worked silently, Nicole and Wynonna had their own thoughts running through their minds.  
  
_Don’t worry Babygirl, me and your girl are coming for you._  
  
_I’m coming for you, baby. I’ll be there soon enough. Just hang in there a little bit longer. I promise you, this will all be over soon._      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did it feel intense? It felt intense writing it. Let me know what you think. 
> 
> Also, it's okay if you call me an ass. I find it hilarious.


	23. Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clock is ticking and time is almost out. Maybe a little 'outside' help will bring Nicole and Wynonna closer to finding Willa, Robert and Champ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't noticed, this story is now part of a series, 'The Past That Haunt's Us'. I do have a plot forming in my mind for the second part of this series. 
> 
> Trigger warning again! Homophobic comments and some violence.
> 
> Also, this is 5,600+ words. Happy reading.

_Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 10:40 A.M. (CT)_  
  
“How could you, you asshole! You didn’t have to shoot him! You want her here, yet you killed my brother when he tried telling Nicole exactly where we are. You don’t make any sense, Nicholas!”  
  
“It’s all apart of the game, Shannon. You know that.” The Boss snarled. “I want her here, but I want to sweat thinking that she won't make it in time.” His voice got more profound and more violent as he talked.

Of course, Nicholas wanted his daughter at the crematorium. But he also wanted to get inside her head first. Make her think that she couldn’t get there in time to save her mother and girlfriend. She had already failed her uncle, it was only a matter of time before she failed the other two as well and it would be his sweet victory when it happens. But until then, the Boss was going to play mind games with his daughter. Make her feel useless, unimportant, and most of all, a failure.      
  
“Now, back to more important matters.” The Boss turned away from his wife to look back at Waverly. “You,” He growled. Taking a few steps closer to her and taking the still hot rod in his hand and pressing it to her stomach.

Waverly screamed. She didn’t want too. Even tried swallowing it down before it escaped her lips but the heat and pain were just too much. The brunette hated giving that man the satisfaction of her screams. She could tell Nicholas loved it. Even wondered if the sick psychopath could get off on it. Just the thought of it made her gag. The younger Earp honestly hoped Nicole understood her message.  
  
“You are going to pay for that little stunt you pulled.”  
  
“Was never one to listen to directions.” Waverly quipped. It was a little white lie, but the Boss didn’t need to know that.  
  
“Sarcasm is going to get you killed, my dear.”  
  
“Rather be dead than looking at your ugly mug.”  
  
“Careful what you wish for. I might just grant you that.”  
  
“So you’re a genie now. You grant wishes. Well, I wish you were dead.”

The door to the basement opened then, and Champ walked through. He left halfway through the torturing. He was ordered to go check the perimeter. Nicholas’s regular guards were out patrolling the city. Looking and waiting to see if they could find the Boss’s daughter. Surprisingly, they were to report to the younger man instead of their Boss.  
  
“I expect you have news for me.”  
  
“Seems like your bitch of a daughter has the nerve to enter your home, Sir.”

If the Boss was angry before, he was furious now. The rod in his hand was thrown across the room. The sound of metal hitting cement echoed in the basement. Both Waverly and Shannon flinched. The brunette knew that anger was going to be taken out on her as punishment for Nicole’s actions. _Thanks a lot, baby. Just what I needed. Your father even more pissed off._ Whatever was inside her girlfriend's childhood home, Waverly really hoped it was worth it.  
  
“Was she with anyone else? Anyone stupid enough to help her?”  
  
“Yes, Sir. Your men said she has a team. Looks to be the FBI.”

Nicholas turned to Waverly then with a devilish smile. She’s smart. I’ll give her that. Just means I’ll have to convince her to come here alone. Give her a warning. Threaten her precious girlfriend. Show her she’s running out of time.  
  
“Another thing, Sir.” Nicholas looked back at the young man. “There’s a woman that seems to be helping her as well. Your men didn’t recognize her as FBI. She had a gun that was kept in her right boot.”  
  
“Wynonna?” Waverly whispered. A small smile came to her face but quickly faded. Not wanting Champ or Nicholas seeing her expression.  
  
“Find out who that is?” The Boss ordered.  
  
“Don’t need to. Coax it out of her.” Champ pointed at the brunette. A smug grin on his face. “She’ll know exactly who is it. Won’t you, babe?”  
  
“Eat shit. Shit-eater.”  
  
The Boss took out his gun and fired three times. Each bullet hit the wall. One on either side of Waverly’s face, and another just inches above her head. “Next time, it’ll be between the eyes.”  
  
“Next time, shoot between your balls. Maybe then you’ll become a man.” Waverly barked back.

The youngest Earp wasn’t the type of person to hate people. ‘Hate is a such a strong word’ Waverly would always say. ‘Strongly dislike’ is what she would say. But the instant she met Nicholas Haught, he was most definitely on her hate list. Said list only contained four names. The Boss’s name was just under Willa’s and right before Champ Hardy’s. The four name was her older sister’s boyfriend, Robert Svane.    
  
*P-Taff*

Waverly winced and screamed in pain. She felt blood trickle down her right side. The brunette dropped her head down in hopes of finding the new wound on her body. Thankfully she was able too. On the side of her ribs, just below her right breast, she could see where the bullet grazed her. It wasn’t deep by any means, but deep enough that it would probably scar; like the rest of Waverly’s wounds. Especially without the proper care for them.  
  
“I think you missed.” Waverly sarcastically said.  
  
“Keep up with the jokes. I dare you. I just might cut your tongue out if you continue to mock me.”  
  
“Just leave her alone, Nicholas!” Shannon called out. She was tired of her husband torturing the poor girl.

The Boss’s voice was to chipper for that comment, and it made the brunette flinch just thinking about him doing that. _Well, that would put a slight damper on mine and Nicole’s sex life now wouldn’t?_ Without thinking and before she could even stop herself from talking, Waverly heard herself say...  
  
“But your daughter enjoys my tongue so much.” If the brunette could, she would have clamped her mouth shut with both her hands. Unfortunately, she didn’t have that option. Instead, she bit her bottom lip until she could feel the cut that was already there, reopen.  
  
“Champ, do me a favor and shut her up. I need to go take care of something that is very important.” With that, the Boss walked passed the young man, Shannon and straight through the door of the basement. Leaving Champ alone with his wife and Waverly.  
  
 “With pleasure, Sir.”

  
**_____________________**

  
  
_Wednesday, January 11, 2017 ~ Houston Police Department Headquarters; Houston, Texas — 6:30 A.M. (CT)_  
  
Houston, the fourth largest city in Texas, was always busy, especially with over 2.3 million people living there. Yet the moment, a particular name was dropped, millions of people became one. At least when it came to the police.  
  
They were owned. Not by the state but by a person. A compelling person. Whenever they called or walked into one of the stations, whatever case the officers were working on, was dropped immediately. Nothing else mattered when he walked in. He was the one who gave them their paychecks every week. Allowed them to have jobs in the first place. Only thing is, their jobs weren’t worth much nowadays. Covering up murders, occasionally hiding bodies, allowing missing person reports and unsolved cases to become cold ones. Hidden in boxes that were locked away and probably never to be looked at again. It was disgusting how one person had that much control over them. But there was nothing any the officers could do unless they wanted to receive a death sentence.  
  
Valdez, chief of Houston’s police department headquarters, honestly hated how the system was set up. Instead of finding justice, she was burying it. Every night, she would drink away the pain of knowing she wasn’t doing her job correctly. It was sickening, wrong, and absolutely the worst feeling in the world. The black-haired woman wished she could do something about it, but she was afraid of the Boss. Not that she would admit that to anyone. Nicholas Haught owned her and Valdez knew that.    
  
About an hour ago, the chief had received a phone call from the Boss, requesting to meet in person. It was Valdez’s day off, to begin with. Going anywhere wasn’t on the agenda. Relaxing and getting things done around her home was what she was supposed to be doing, instead of heading the Headquarters to meet with Mr. Haught.  
  
The black-haired woman was early. Something that was out of habit. It gave Valdez plenty of time to unlock her office and tidy up any papers that might have been left on the desk. Cleaning was a nervous habit she had as well. Especially when it came to Nicholas Haught. A private meeting with him meant it was serious. That alone, made the woman ten times more nervous than she already was.

Luckily for the chief, she didn’t have to wait long for the Boss to arrive. At first glance, the man’s demeanor said everything. He walked at a steady pace. His face was cold, hard and slightly flushed. Eyebrows knitted together, smile tight-lipped, fists closed and also looked bloody. Whatever was going on, Valdez knew, it wasn’t good.  
  
Nicholas Haught slammed the door open to the chief's office. “I have a job for you.”  
  
“Sir, with all due respect, today is my day off.” Valdez gently replied.  
  
“Too fucking bad. I own your ass, and when I say I have a job for you, you accept.” The chief gritted her teeth and nodded once. “Good. My daughter has returned. Broke into my house and took something valuable.”  
  
“You want me to arrest your daughter, Sir?”  
  
“No. What I need you to do, is make sure she doesn’t make it to the crematorium during the next twenty-four hours.”  
  
“And why would she be heading there? What did you do, Nicholas?”  
  
“That is none of your business. Do you your job, and I’ll give you a nice bonus to your upcoming paycheck.”  
  
“Yes, Sir.” The chief said obediently.  
  
Nicholas turned around and began walking out the door. “Oh and one more thing, Valdez. Fail this mission, and you won’t have a job come morning.” After that, the Boss left. Leaving the black-haired woman wondering what had just happened.

  
_____________________

  
  
_ Wednesday, January 11, 2017 ~ Sapphire Hotel; Houston, Texas — 8:13 A.M. (CT) _

Pacing. That’s all Willa had done since leaving the crematorium. The need to know what Nicholas was doing her little sister was unbearable. Was he hitting her, _touching_ her, making her life a living hell for dating a traitor? The older Earp wanted to be a part of the torturing but was declined, and she absolutely hated it.  
  
Waverly was her sister. The _right_ to do those things was her's. Willa was furious, to say the least when the Boss had instructed her and Robert to just drop off the younger woman and leave. In some ways, it felt wrong. Only because Willa wanted to be there when Nicholas got his hands on her.  
  
    Willa should love her little sister but doesn’t. If it wasn’t for Waverly, she would still have her family. Her youngest sister tore that apart the day she was brought home from the hospital. Then to make matters worse, the brunette came out as a _gay._ A sinful and disgusting thing to be. It was incredibly wrong. Love was meant to be between a man and a woman, not between two people of the same sex.  
  
    On top of everything, Waverly managed to rope Wynonna into thinking that it was okay to love the same sex. The youngest Earp always did have a way of weaseling in to peoples mind’s into thinking or believing what is genuinely wrong, to be right. Something had to be done about it, and Willa wanted, _needed,_ to be the one to do so.  
  
“If you continue to pace, I’m going to shoot you!” Robert growled at her.

He had been watching his girlfriend walk back and forth for thirty minutes now, and it was driving him insane. Ever since they got the message that Nicole Haught was in Texas, they both had been on edge. It was the moment everyone was waiting for. The Boss’s daughter to return home to either join the ‘family business’ or die. There was no happy medium. Everyone who worked for Nicholas knew that.

They waited years for this moment to come, and now that it had presented itself, all of the employees wanted to be there. Sadly, all but five were out of state still roaming around trying to find Nicole. The Boss didn’t want to notify anyone yet. Just in case Robert and Willa had been wrong. Now though, it was a safety precaution. Keep the employees away, while Nicholas played head games.  
  
“Don’t be so dramatic, Robert. And I can’t help it. The Boss hasn’t made any updates with us. Doesn’t that concern you. We found _his_ daughter for christ sake and brought him, _her_ ultimate weakness. Which just so happens to be _my_ little sister. Not that care. I should be the one torturing her. Not him. Not that stupid boy-man but me.” Willa ranted with anger lacing every word.    
  
Robert got up from the couch he was sitting on. He couldn’t take Willa’s ranting and constant pacing anymore. The older man was honestly on his last nerve with his girlfriend. The threat he made was an honest one. The gun tucked away in his pants behind his back was itching to make its an appearance. The bullets in its chamber were ready for a moments notice, and at that point, Willa was looking like a great target to unleash some of his tension.

Willa stopped pacing once she noticed her boyfriend leaving. Robert walked towards bedroom door that was on the left side of the hotel room. They were in the Boss’s suite. The one where most of their meetings with all of the employees were held. To them, it was their safe house. Not many people were allowed on the top floor of each hotel room. To gain access, they would need the secret code just for the elevator to each said floor. Without it, the elevator would automatically stop one level below. The only other access to the top was the emergency stairs.  
  
The brown-haired woman stomped her foot. Hard. She couldn’t believe her boyfriend had just left her alone to her own demise. They were a team. He was supposed to listen to her rant. Help her come up with a plan to fix the current situation she was in, which was trying to convince Nicholas to let her go to the crematorium and torture Waverly herself. But knowing the Boss, he would just tell her to be quiet and not worry about it. To leave him alone and wait for further instructions. Yet, that waiting was going to get her in trouble.  
  
_Knock Knock Knock_  
  
    The light knocking on the door pulled Willa from her thoughts. Initially, she was going to follow her boyfriend into the bedroom and give him a piece of her mind, but the unexpected visitor didn’t allow such happiness. The oldest Earp really did want to have a screaming match with Robert. At least then, it would bring some type of excitement for her.  
  
    Whoever was at the door was exceedingly annoying. Two more rounds of knocking had occurred before Willa even started walking towards the other side of the room. The knocking was soft enough that Robert didn’t hear so when he hadn’t re-entered the living room, the brown-haired woman wasn’t surprised.  
  
“Jesus Christ.” Willa murmured to herself. “Quit the damn knocking and give me a minute!” She yelled. The older Earp opened the door. “The fuc...”

  
**_____________________**

  
  
_ Wednesday, January 11, 2017 ~Federal Bureau of Investigation; Houston, Texas — 7:33 A.M. (CT) _

Hours. Wasted hours no less. For some ungodly reason, Willa Earp, Robert Svane, and Champ Hardy managed to disappear. All surveillance videos showed the same thing. The van they were using, came and gone. The vehicle was shown on one road and the next, it was no longer there.  
  
Jeremy searched and searched and researched again. Conclusion being, the three people took roads that somehow didn’t have cameras overlooking them. It was apparent they knew this information. If the three hadn’t, then they must have had pure luck on their side. Though no one wanted to call it luck or a coincidence. It was knowledge that they knew beforehand and nothing else.  
  
Wynonna slammed her fists on the table, jumping everyone in the room. “No one can just disappear like that!”  
  
“Well...”  
  
“Well what, Haught?” The middle Earp thought of a moment. “Oh, right. But you left the state. Those three morons are-”  
  
_Knock knock knock_  
  
“Enter.” Lucado answered while Wynonna sighed loudly.  
  
The door opened slowly and a man, who was in his mid to late thirties, walked in. The man’s hair reached his eyes. He was a couple inches shorter than Nicole but had the same eye color. He seemed skittish and unsure. His eyes roaming the entire BBD office and never looking at one spot for longer than necessary. The Captain looked him over a few times before it clicked. She knew this man and him being there, was either a good thing or an extremely bad one. Nicole wasn’t sure at that point.  
  
“Levi?”  
  
“Miss Haught. It’s been awhile.” The man said sheepishly. He shifted between both feet nervously. He still wasn’t able to hold eye contact with Nicole yet.    
  
“I’m going assume my father doesn’t know you’re here?”  
  
“That would be correct.” A moment passed between the two. Everyone stared at them, not knowing what to say or to even cut in. Before anyone could do anything, Levi continued. “He’s gone completely mad, Nicole. Nicholas isn’t covering his tracks like he usually does. Over the past couple of weeks, he’s become careless and reckless. The moment he found out that you were found, he became different. Colder. Nicole, your father wont stop until you’re dead or at least changed your mind about the business. But if I was you, I’d end it. Which is why I’m here. I’m done working for him. I’d rather turn myself in than get killed by that man. I’m sorry that I helped him in finding your whereabouts.”

Nicole stared at the man in front of her. He was considered an uncle once-upon-a-time, but now he was a stranger. A stranger who was willingly helping her father find her. She wasn’t really sure what to say to Levi. Though after taking in consideration to what he said, maybe he deserved a little redemption.  
  
The redhead sighed quietly. “I’ll be honest with you, Levi. I’m not going to sugar coat anything, so I’ll be blunt with you. I’m not practically happy that you helped my father. I do remember what you’re capable of doing which also means you probably hacked military security systems. That doesn’t please me either. But you’re here, and that makes a difference. I personally can not make you any deals, but Director Lucado might be able to. With that said, in order to help you, I’d like you to help us.”  
  
“What do you need me to do?”  
  
“Where can I find Willa Earp, Robert Svane, and Champ Hardy?” Nicole went straight to the point.

Wynonna, who had been staying quiet like the rest of the group, walked over to Nicole. This was vital information for them. A missing piece before they could rescue Waverly. They were running out of time, faster than they expected and at this point, the Captain and the middle Earp needed all the help they could get.  
  
“Hardy has been with your father. Willa and Bobo are staying in the suite at the Sapphire Hotel.”  
  
Wynonna snorted. “Bobo. Poor sucker... wait, who is Bobo?”  
  
“Bobo Del Rey is Robert’s alias name. It’s the name I’m most used to.” Levi answered.

The middle Earp nodded. She glanced over at Nicole, a silent conversation happening between them. They finally got the answers they were looking for. Coincidentally, all it took was for someone who worked for Nicholas Haught the Third. Someone who knew his every move and every plan he could formulate. An employee who was willing enough to betray the Boss and risk their life doing so. Thankfully, the Captain didn’t have to go looking for said person; instead they came to her. Now it was time to start taking action.

The silent conversation between the two women was interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. Director Lucado glanced behind her and stared at the only desk inside the BBD office. The phone that sat upon it was indeed going off, and she quickly walked over to answer it. The blonde haired woman knew it had to be important because that phone never went off and if it did, it was because it was transferred over from her office.  
  
“Federal Bureau of Investigation, Director Lucado speaking.” The Director listened to the person on the other end of the phone call. Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean we have a situation going on outside?; Fine, I’ll handle it.” Lucado hung up by slamming the phone down. She scanned the room, bowed her head forward and shook her head. “We a have problem.”  
  
“And that being?” Dolls questioned.  
  
“It has seemed that Nicholas Haught has put a 10-62 on his daughter and Houston PD is here to arrest her. So here’s what we’re going to do. I am going to handle the situation out front while the rest of you slip through the back. We only have a few hours left, and we don’t need any distractions getting in our way. That also means we are harboring a fugitive as of now. Sorry, Captain.”  
  
“Don’t apologize. My father is an ass and knowing him, he’s going to make` sure I fail, and I for one am not going to let that happen. Agents, Earp, let head out. Levi, thank you for helping us. Also for your safety, stay inside this building.”  
  
Everyone except Levi and Jeremy left the BBD office. Nicole, Wynonna and the agents headed towards the north end of the building while the Director went south. Lucado was fuming by the time she reached the front door. The situation at hand was definitely something the redhead and the middle Earp couldn’t afford. Time was of the essence and unfortunately, the clock was ticking down rather quickly.  
  
The moment Lucado stepped outside, she was greeted with four squad cars, one unmarked Dodge Charger, and nine police officers. “From the way you are all acting, you would have thought there was a hostage situation going on inside my building.” The Director quipped.  
  
“We’re here to arrest Nicole Haught.” Chief Valdez yelled out.  
  
“And you need eight other officers to do so?”  
  
“She’s the daughter of Nicholas Haught the Third. You tell me if I need backup or not?”  
  
“What makes you think she here, to begin with?”  
  
Just as Valdez was about to answer, two black Chevy Tahoe’s drove passed them. The chief examined the vehicles, hoping to be able to see through the windows but unfortunately, she knew she wouldn’t be able too. The FBI’s always blacked out their SUV’s including tinting the windows so dark that they matched the color of the SUV’s.  
  
“Those vehicles better not contain her.”  
  
“Do you want to be owned by Nicholas Haught or be free from him? Go back to being paid by the state. You take her in now, you risk her saving her mother and her girlfriend. Do you want to be the cause of two deaths happening or be the reason why she was able to save their lives and help us get out from under the Boss? Make your choice. If I were you, I’d choose very wisely.”

  
**_____________________**

  
_Wednesday, January 11, 2017 ~ Sapphire Hotel; Houston, Texas — 8:07 A.M. (CT)_      
  
Who would have thought twenty-five minutes would feel like twenty-five hours? Wynonna certainly hadn’t. The moment she had been waiting for since finding out her older sister was apart of Waverly’s kidnapping, had finally arrived. Her, Nicole and the agents pulled up to the hotel and parked on the side of the building. Luckily for them, it wasn’t jam-packed.  
  
Quickly exiting the vehicles and over to the side of the building, the agents scanned the parking lot while the Captain and Wynonna waited by the side door. Jeremy had informed them that he successfully hacked into the hotel’s software and would be able to open any doors that required key cards. So now, that was what they were waiting for; that soft click to say that the door had unlocked. Seconds after arriving in front of it, Nicole and the middle Earp heard the click. The two of them went in and then ushered the agents in after them.  
  
With Jeremy hijacking the systems, he went ahead and repeated the same thing he did back at the Haught Residence; making sure everyone was invisible to the surveillance videos in the hallways. Everyone entered the elevator and Nicole hit the second to last floor button.  
  
“Why didn’t you hit the top floor?”  
  
“Cause there is a bell inside that suite that lets whoever’s in there know, someone is coming up. With all the employees gone, my father being at the crematorium, and Levi back at Black Badge, there shouldn’t be anyone going to that top floor. Also, do you really want to alarm your sister of our presence?”  
  
“Fuck no!”

The redhead smirked. She knew Wynonna had been patiently waiting to beat the shit out of her sister. It wasn’t stand operating procedure, but honestly, no one wanted to stand in the way of the middle Earp. The woman was bouncing in anticipation in her seat on the way to the hotel. Anyone in the SUV could tell that it wasn’t nervous energy that Wynonna was throwing off, but instead, it was rage. One look in dark brunette’s eyes told Nicole that interfering with whatever her girlfriend's sister had planned, was not an option. Quite frankly, whatever Wynonna had planned, Willa certainly had it coming.

The moment the elevator door opened on the second to last floor, Wynonna took off running towards the stairs. The Captain was the next one to start running. She didn’t want the middle Earp to ruin plan, but at this point, Lucado wasn’t there to stop them, and Nicole just wanted to get this part over with.

After catching up with the other woman and the agents catching up to them as well, Wynonna started lightly pounding on the door. She did three soft knocks every couple of seconds, knowing that it would piss off Willa.  
  
“Quit the damn knocking and give me a minute!”

Wynonna and Nicole heard the oldest Earp yell. They listened to the sound of someone’s footsteps walking towards the door. The darker brunette knew precisely who was going to answer the door. Living with someone for years you tend to learn some things about that person. One being that when Willa was pissed, her steps would be more substantial than usual.

The middle Earp took a deep breath when the door opened. “The fuc..” Willa started to stay but froze at the sight of her sister. In a blink of an eye, peacemaker was in Wynonna’s hand and flipped upside down. Another blink and the butt of the gun was meeting the brown-haired woman’s jaw.  
  
Willa stumbled back a few steps, a hand coming up to her face. “What the hell Wynonna?”  
  
“Me, what the hell? The fuck were you thinking, Willa? ” At the sound of a new voice inside the suite, Robert came busting out of the bedroom, gun in hand. He pointed it at the un-welcomed guest. The man’s finger rested on the trigger. Just as he was about to pull it, Nicole came walking into the room holding her own gun in hand.  
  
“Don’t think so, buddy.” The sound of a gun went off followed by a thud.  
  
“Fucking bitch!” Robert wheezed out. His left hand covered the bullet wound in his right shoulder.

Nicole ignored him and went over to retrieve his gun. Wynonna didn’t even flinch when the gun off and decided to take the opportunity to catch her sister off guard again. So the moment the gun went off, the middle Earp jumped her sister. Punching Willa where ever her fist could make contact with.

Dolls, Bustillos, Croft, and Shapiro all came barreling into the room at the sound of the gun. They weren’t sure of the situation going on inside but at the alarming sound, they knew it was time to help out. They stopped short to take in the scene. Robert Svane lying on the ground with a bullet wound. The Earp sisters having a punching match on the floor, not too far from the bleeding man.

Agent Dolls took action first. He walked over to Nicole and handed her a pair of handcuff. He then lifted Robert off the floor and pulled his arms behind his back. The agent began reading him his Miranda Rights. After he was done, Dolls nodded to the Captain and turned around. Smirking when he heard the sound of a grunt. Knowing full well that the redhead had just punched the man in the stomach.    
  
“Get...off... of... me!” Willa huffed out. Her face was now bruised and had blood coming from her nose.

Wynonna didn’t stop though. Her baby sister was in danger and was getting tortured, no thanks to Willa. The fact that her older sister was willing to help made her sick, but most of all, livid. And now that she had Willa beneath her, the middle Earp wasn’t planning on stopping her assault.

Perry went to grab her, but Nicole stopped him. Instead, she grabbed Wynonna herself. Once the redhead had a good hold of the middle Earp, she lifted her off of her sister. Wynonna thrashed against her, trying to get back to hitting Willa. The Captain took a couple of steps back in hopes of getting her friend just far enough away from the oldest Earp.  
  
Sadly that wasn’t the case. The darker brunette definitely wasn’t done conflicting pain onto her, and before anyone realized what was happening, Wynonna lifted peacemaker and shot Willa in both of her the legs. The bullet wounds were above the knees, just missing main arteries.  
  
Willa cried out in pained, but Wynonna didn’t care. “Now you know how Waverly is feeling right now. I hope you rot in hell, Willa. I don’t even wish the death sentence on you either. That would give you the quickest way out, and you don’t deserve that. I hope you never see the light of day, you selfish bitch.”  
  
Bustillos and Shapiro had quickly gotten items to stop the bleeding for both Willa and Robert. Dolls took the initiative to call for two ambulances. Once EMT’s got the two perpetrator’s to the hospital and fixed up, they both would be thrown in jail. Dolls also took the time to read the older Earp’s Miranda Rights while waiting.

Nicole took Wynonna into the bedroom so she could cool off some. The longer she was in her sister’s presence, the angrier she got. Peacemaker was still in the darker brunettes hand and how Wynonna hadn't murdered Willa yet, was beyond the Captain. She honestly thought Wynonna was going to. Wouldn’t blame her either. For what the oldest Earp did and possibly had done during the time she worked for her father, was inexcusable. The thought of killing Willa or Robert was something the redhead had thought about, but like Wynonna said, it would have been giving them the pleasure of getting off the hook easier. Which was definitely something she didn’t them having.  
   
After the ambulances showed up and left, the agents, Wynonna and the Captain, headed back towards the SUV’s. Everyone was further ahead of Nicole once they were on the first floor. For some reason she wanted to be the last person out the door and to no surprise, her gut feeling was right once again.  
  
Nicole’s cell phone started going off and unfortunately, what should have brought a smile to her face, caused a tight-lipped one. Waverly’s ringtone filled her ears. She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly before answering the call. Instead of greeting her father, she waited for him to speak.  
  
_“You’re running out of time, Nicole.”_ The Captain could practically see the smirk on her fathers face. She didn’t need to see him, to know that was what he was doing.  
  
_“You only have a couple more hours left. How does it feel to know you’re failing your mother and girlfriend. You already failed your uncle, it is only a matter of time before you fail them too... Maybe I need to give you an ultimatum. Come here, alone, and join the business. You do that, and we’ll make a deal. Don’t take to long thinking about it. Your girlfriend is in rough shape. Might not last too much much longer.”_

The phone call ended then a text message came through. It was a photo. A gruesome picture at that. Waverly was still chained to the wall, burns, cuts, and bruises just about covered her entire body. The tan skin Nicole loved so much was stained with blood. Another minute of looking at her girlfriend and a new found purpose came to light. To save her girlfriend, the redhead had to do the one thing she ran away from eight years ago.  
  
It was time for Nicole Haught to join her father in the ‘family business.’  
   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10-62, from the the information I looked up, is breaking and entering.
> 
> Next chapter we will bringing us to Nicole being at the crematorium. 
> 
> I would had this up on the yesterday, the 16th(*cough* my birthday *cough*) but I replace my laptop and didn't have wifi the majority of my day. So even if it was my birthday, I'm in a giving mood. 
> 
> P.S: I literally finished this chapter at 12:30 in the morning, yesterday. Hope you all liked it!


	24. Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty-fours are up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are gonna kill me for this! 
> 
> P.S: Another trigger warning for attempted rape! Someone commented an idea about Waverly and Champ, and this is what came to mind. I do not condone rape or violence for that matter, but for the purpose of this story and part two, you'll understand why I wrote it. 
> 
> Also, I didn't proofread this, so all grammar and extra/missing words that should/shouldn't be there are my own mistakes.

_Tuesday, January 10, 2017 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 10:44 A.M. (CT)_  
  
“You touch me Champ, and I swear to… AH!” Champ backhanded Waverly across the face. Once again, reopening the recently closed up gash that Nicholas gave the brunette with the dog tags yesterday.  
  
“You can’t do shit to me and neither can she.” The blonde haired man pointed at Shannon. “Hell, she can’t even help save you from what I’m about to do.” 

Waverly’s eyes widen at Champ’s confession. She feared that at some point he would do this to her. Hardy was possessive of the brunette even though they never dated but at the same time, she knew that if the opportunity presented itself, the blonde hair man would definitely take it. What Champ was about to do to her, was cruel, vial and downright disgusting. How anyone thought it was okay to ‘have their way’ with someone was beyond the youngest Earp. Then again, the number of times she had ‘her way’ with Nicole… it was consensual every time. This time, Waverly had not consented, and it wasn’t with her love.       
  
“Champ, Nicholas doesn’t condone to such behavior. He may be a sick and cruel man, but even he doesn’t believe in rape. If he finds out you did such things, he’ll kill you.” Shannon yelled out.  
  
“Then at least I’ll die a happy man knowing I finally took what was mine!”

The brunette remained silent. Waverly had to come up with a plan to somehow stall him. To make Champ realize that life was more important than sex. That she wasn’t worth losing his life over. Waverly decided to voice those thoughts, it was worth a shot anyway. Instead, she received the most ridiculous laugh she had ever heard. It was filled with emptiness, hatred, and surprisingly amusement all rolled into one.    
  
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Waverly listened to the sound of Champs footsteps getting closer to her. Her breathing became labored, and she began to fight against the metal that kept the youngest Earp in place. She hated that she couldn’t move, especially in a time like this. If only the brunette could move her…

 _Well, this is a surprise._ A clicking sound followed by metal landing on the cement floor just about echoed throughout the basement. _You really are as dumb as you look._   Waverly felt one of Champ’s hands move her legs apart so he could put his right thigh between them. _Think this_ through _properly. He probably thinks I don’t have enough energy to keep him away. Oh, how this is going to be a lovely turn of an event._  
  
The feeling of the blonde haired man fumbling with his belt brought Waverly out of her thoughts. She started to curse in her head for the lack of clothing she had on, but it also wasn’t her fault. It was the asshat and the shit-tickets fault because they burnt her clothes off in the first place.  
  
A couple more breathes, and Champ had finally freed his member from his pants. He then went to pull down her panties, and that was when Waverly took her shot. She quickly brought the leg that was slotted between the man’s legs and kneed him in the balls for a second time in two days. Just as Champ was to the ground once again, the brunette used her other foot and kicked him directly in the dick.  
  
“Guess that’s what you get for trying to rape my daughter's girlfriend.” Shannon chastised. “Nicole will be so proud to know that you continue to kick him in the genitals.”  
  
“It’s quite satisfying, to be honest.”  
  
Sadly, Champ recovered faster than what the brunette thought he would so she waited. Right before he was able to be entirely on his knees, Waverly was able to double kick him in the nose and jaw, knocking him out completely. With the sound of a crack, there was a good chance that she broke his jaw. Fingers crossed, right?  
  
Not even two minutes later, Nicholas came barging back through the doors. He stopped dead in his tracks when one his eyes laid upon the unconscious man on the floor. The Boss shook his hand stomped his feet towards Waverly. Bending down and picking up Champs head by the hair, he examined the blood on the man’s face. Nicholas muttered ‘buffoon’ under his breath. Then his eyes lingered down the blonde haired man's body and stopped when he saw something entirely disturbing.  
  
Nicholas stood back up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can't believe I’m about to ask this but did this idiot really try to do what I think he did?” Waverly nodded. “And he was stupid enough to undo the handcuffs. Are they all this dumb in your backwater town or just him?”  
  
“So far, it’s just him.” This time Nicholas nodded in acknowledgment. Waverly wasn’t too sure why the Boss was acting so kindly, but it really freaked her out. She watched the older man pick Champ up off the floor and out of the basement. “I don’t ever want to see a softer side to him. It makes me nervous.”  
  
“You and me, both, Waverly. I haven’t seen my husband be that friendly in years. It honestly makes more afraid for whats about to come.        
  
\+ + + + +  
   
Nicholas dropped Champ _hard_ on the cement floor when he reached the top of the stairs. The action caused a low moan to slip from the boy-mans lips. The Boss waited until the man curled onto his side to kick him in the ribs a couple of times. Champ’s eyes flew open and his arms wrapped around his torso, trying to block the shoe that his slamming into him.  
  
“What the hell?” Champ gasped.  
  
“What did I tell you about trying to fuck her? Huh? I told you to wait until my daughter arrives then you do it. I want Nicole to suffer having to watch her girlfriend have sex with someone that's not her.”  
  
Nicholas picks the blonde haired man off the floor and shoves him towards the door. Champ stumbled forward and tripped over his own feet, making him fall to his knees.  
  
“Since I can’t trust you alone with my wife and my daughter's girlfriend, you will be patrolling outside until I say otherwise.”   

 **____________________**  

  
  
_ Wednesday, January 11, 2017 _ _ ~ Federal Bureau of Investigation; Houston, Texas — 8:45 A.M. (CT)   _

Nicole had stayed quiet since entering the SUV and all the way back to the BBD’s office. Her mind swirling with the same question. How do you tell your girlfriend’s sister and a bunch of FBI agents that are trying to take down your father, that you are joining his side? That you’re doing it to save the woman you love in hopes of freeing her from the torture Nicholas has started. That as long as she’s on the inside, she’ll be able to end the ‘family business’ once and for all. Sadly, no answer in the entire universe would suffice the redhead from doing something that insane.  
  
Upon entering the FBI building, everyone seemed to acknowledge the uneasiness in the Captain. Between fidgeting, being extremely quiet, and continually looking down at her cellphone as if it was going to a magic trick or not, it put Wynonna and all the agents a little on edge. They didn’t know what their next move would be other than rescuing Waverly, but there was no plan of action yet. Nicole only had a couple more hours left of the twenty-four that was given to her. Every second that was wasted was another second closer to the redhead's mother and Waverly’s death. On top of whatever else Nicholas might have planned to take them down.  
  
“Chief Valdez has agreed to work with us. It seems the entire police force are tired of working for Nicholas Haught. Their morals are finally getting to them.” Director Lucado broke the awkward silence that had settled in the BBD office when everyone walked through the door.  
  
“That’s great. The more people on our side, the better.” Nicole said while looking at the ground. When she looked up and glanced around the room, she noticed that there one person missing in the mix. “Where’s Levi?”  
  
The Director shifted uncomfortably from where she was standing. An action that wasn’t lost on Nicole. “He snuck out the back shortly after you all left and I have reasons to believe that your father captured him as well.”

There was entirely no adjectives strong enough that described just how angry the Captain was. She had a feeling that Levi wasn’t going to stay, but she at least hoped that if the man were going run, he’d get far enough away that her father wasn’t going to find him. Then again, they were dealing with a mobster, and no one was able to get away. Well, Nicole was an exception only because she lived with Nicholas and trained to do such things. Levi, on the other hand, worked from inside and never went on missions.  
  
That was what pissed off Nicole the most. Knowing that her father, who most likely had been following Levi from the moment he thought the young man was going to cross him, caught him in the act. The Captain should have thought about everything before heading to the hotel. Should have thought about Levi running to escape from Nicholas’s power. Should have known to have someone watching said man so if he tried to run away, he couldn’t. Hell, Nicole should have known that her father would have been looking for the ‘traitor’ no different than him looking for her. Only now, that anger was towards the fact the redhead didn’t know if Levi was still alive or not and it bothered the shit out of her knowing that she had failed another person in a short amount of time. The Captian only hoped that she didn’t fail her mother or Waverly next. If she lost either one or both, that was something Nicole would never be able to come back from.  
  
“Goddammit!” The Captain slammed both her fists on the table that was in front her, startling everyone at the sudden outburst. “Why didn’t you have someone watching him?”  
  
“We can’t keep someone here if they don’t to be here in the first place. Levi did what he wanted to do and left. It was his choice to leave.”  
  
“And you could have convinced him to stay here knowing my father would have been looking for him. Now Levi is probably dead because no one cared enough to make sure he stayed in the fucking building! He helped us and yet we failed him! I’ve already my uncle, and now because of your inability to do your job right, I have failed yet another person! Because of your mistake, I now have to do the one I told myself I’d never do and join my father just so I can hopefully save the woman I love and my mother!”  
  
Silence came over the office. No one dared to breathe in fear that it would cause a sound in the room. Nicole didn’t mean to say the last, but at this point, she didn’t care. The redhead stormed out of the room ignoring any protests that began the moment her hand touched the door. The Captain couldn’t deal with them, she was still furious and only had one thought process going, saving Waverly and her mother.  
  
\+ + + + +  
  
Wynonna ran after the redhead but unfortunately didn’t catch up to her fast enough. By the time she reached the rental car they had, Nicole was already pealing out of the parking lot. Speeding towards, what looked to be downtown. Then again, the Captain did grow up in Houston and could very easily maneuver herself throughout the city and not get lost. She could also very easily lose someone if she thought she was being followed as well.  
  
The middle Earp huffed and went back inside. She had a pretty good idea where Nicole was heading and wished she knew where the location was. Just so could meet the redhead there and cuff upside the head for being so reckless. Since meeting Nicole, Wynonna found out that the Captain usually had some really great idea’s but joining her father was literally the worst one the redhead had ever come up with. _God, I hope you know what you’re doing, Haught. My sister is a stake here._    
  
Slamming the door to the BBD office, causing everyone to slightly jump at the unexpected noise, Wynonna glared, hard to every person in the room. “We have to come up with a plan now. There’s no way we are letting Nicole do this. It’s a dumbass mistake, not to mention my sister just might kill her afterward. But you didn’t hear that from me.”  
  
“All ready ahead of you, Ms.Earp. When you stormed off after the Captain, we started formulating a plan. One that will hopefully, _hopefully,_ work well with whatever Haught plans on doing.” Lucado answered.  
  
“So you don’t think she’ll actually-” The sound of Nicole’s text ringtone went off and Wynonna opened the text. A mischievous smile gracing her face.

**____________________**

   
  
_Wednesday, January 11, 2017 ~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 10:16 A.M. (CT)_  
  
Nicole cruised around in her rental car for a little over an hour. Yes, the clock was ticking, but at the same time, she wasn’t quite ready to see her father. She needed the ultimate plan and creating one required time. Something the redhead honestly didn’t have but still had to make the time to do so. When the Captain finally came up with one, she finally went to the one place, where, hopefully, everything was about to end.  
  
Pulling up to the crematorium, Nicole took a moment to notice her surroundings. Two men that she didn’t recognize were standing in front of the doors and Champ Hardy who was walking towards her from the side of the building. The Captain got out the car and waited for the young man to be within reached. He got to be about five feet from her before she pulled out a dart gun and shot him in the leg.  
  
“You bitch!” Champ gasped out.  
  
Seconds later the blonde haired man started to lose his balance and eyelids began to close as he fell to the ground, one hundred percent unconscious. Nicole looked towards the crematorium door to make sure neither one of the men heard the clicking noise of the gun or the thudding sound of Champ hitting the dirt. With the confirmation that she needed, she quickly hauled the man behind the car, hiding the body from the guards.

The Captain straightened out her clothes and dusted off any dirt that might have gotten on her. After doing so, Nicole started her ‘walk of shame’ to her father. Thinking about the phrase ‘walk of shame’ the redhead shook her head at herself. _More like, ‘walking to my death’ seems to be a little more appropriate in my case.  Now… time to deal with those two fools._

Tweedle-dumb and tweedle-stupid had noticed the redhead’s arrival. They knew what was going on in the basement and who Nicholas Haught was torturing, so naturally, it was only a matter of time before the Boss’s daughter showed up. The men stayed at their posts when they saw Champ approach her. What neither of them saw was Nicole using a tranquilizer gun to take the boy-man down. The two were too occupied looking in the opposite direction when they heard a strange noise coming that way.  
  
The two men were still looking away from Nicole when she reached the door. Giving her the best opportunity to use the dart gun again on both of them. Two thuds, one right after the other, followed by the sound of the gun hitting the ground, and the Captain was walking through the doors of the crematorium. Memories came flooding back to her the second the door click shut behind her. The irony of that was the memories were semi-happy ones. She was a kid after all when she spent the most time there. The last thought though was the worst one, when she finally found out why her grandfather built the building in the first place. The memory of someone screaming caused a shiver down the redheads back.

Shaking her head to snap out of her memories, the Captain walked towards the stairs leading to the basement. It felt like the stairs went on forever. As if the door at the bottom continued to move further away, mocking her at the same time. Once finally reaching the last step, Nicole’s hand trembled around the door handle. She took a long shuddering breath before opening the door. Realizing that what she was about to see, was something the redhead wasn’t ready for.  
  
Nicole walked through the door of the basement and took in her surroundings. Her eyes instantly landed on Waverly. Her girlfriend was still chained to the wall on the other side of the room. Hands high above her drooping head and dried blood pooling beneath her feet. The brunette looked tired. Nicole didn’t blame her though. Being tortured for the last forty-eight hours would have taken a lot of energy of out her.  
  
The Captain raked her eyes over the youngest Earp’s body and noticed that her skin was drained from its usual bronze color. She could see the burn marks, cuts, and bruises clear as day on the perfect skin that Nicole loved to skim her fingers along. Seeing her girlfriend in this state, bolted her blood. Her father hurt the woman she loved more than anything else in this world, and at that moment, she had to remain calm. Even though every fiber of her being was telling her to do the opposite.  
  
Moving her eyes off of her girlfriend, the redhead scanned the rest of the room. She two subjects tied to chairs, her mother, and Levi. Taking a closer look, she noticed that Shannon seemed to untouched, minus some bruises on her face. Levi, on the other hand, was lucky to be breathing. There were holes in his shirt, and blood stained all over him. His eyes were swollen shut, and both top and bottom lips were split open. There was a large pool of blood on the floor behind him, but Nicole figured it belonged to her uncle. Why clean up if there was going to be more blood spilled, right? _Disgusting!_  
  
“Finally come to your senses, Nicole, or are you here to die with the rest of them?” Nicholas asked.  
  
Nicole locked eyes with her father and conjured up the most determined look she could have. “I’ve thought about it for quite a while actually. I’m done running, and I’m here because I’m finally ready to be apart of the business, Father.”

Nicholas Haught smiled. For years he wanted to hear those words come from his daughter's mouth and now that he had, he couldn't be happier. Then, a swarm of thoughts invaded his mind, and his face hardened. _She could be misleading me. I need her to prove her worth. Prove to me that she is officially on my side. Spoken words are not good enough. Actions will always speak louder than words._  
   
“Nicole, you can't be serious!”  
  
“This isn't the life you want!”  
  
Both Waverly and Shannon yelled at the same time. Nicole darted her eyes between the two women. She squared her shoulders and held her head up high. The Captain couldn't let them get to her. She couldn't let them change her mind. Which meant, she had to ignore everything that they said. Ignore anything that would make her change her decision to join her father and become the next Boss when the time came.  
  
Nicholas saw that his daughter was conflicted but took a step forward anyway. “Prove to me that you're ready, then.” His voice was stern and hard.    
  
“How do you a pose I do that, Sir?” Nicole questioned.  
  
“Baby, please don’t do this!” Waverly pleaded. “Think about us. Think about everything you’re giving up. This life isn’t you… you don’t kill people, Nicole!” Tears streamed down the brunettes face. “I know you, and this isn’t it. You’re better than this! Better than him!”  
  
“Than maybe you don’t know me at all. I’ve made my choice… now,” Nicole returned her focused back to her father. “How?”  
  
“With this.” The Boss smiled as he took out his handgun and offered it to his daughter. Daring her to take it.  
  
Nicole nodded and grabbed the gun. She stared at it for a moment then allowed the weight of it to drop her hand a bit. _It’s not fully loaded. The magazine is missing at least two bullets. He’s observing me. Seeing if I still know how to tell if a gun is fully loaded or not._ She squeezed the grip tighter and lowered her arm to her side. The small action caught Nicholas’s attention. He stood up straighter and somehow made his shoulders seem broader, making him even more intimating.  
  
Now was the time to really put Nicole’s words into use and the Boss knew precisely how he was going to do that. “Shoot her.” Nicholas pointed to Waverly.  
  
“Yes, Sir.” The Captain nodded. She avoided making eye contact with her father. Knowing he would see the slight bit of apprehension in them.     
  
Nicole walked forward and stopped a few yards away from her girlfriend. She swallowed the lump in her throat knowing she had to carry out the action to make her father believe the redhead was on his side. Fear, betrayal, and disbelief shown in the brunette's eyes and it every ounce of energy Nicole had from stopping herself and turning away.  
  
Making direct eye contact was probably the worst thing the Captain ever did. But at the same time, it made everything better. Made it easier to do what she was about to do. As she raised her arm and pointed the gun at Waverly’s head, a particular memory flood her mind…

 **____________________**  

  
  
_ Wednesday, January 4, 2017 _ _ ~ Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific Hotel; Sydney, Australia — 2:45 P.M. (AEDT) _

Even though vacations are usually meant to get away from drama or used at a much-needed relaxation, sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. For Waverly and Nicole, it seemed to be the latter of the two. They had returned back to the hotel after enjoying a walk through one of Zoo’s and having lunch by the ocean. Everything was going great. Mindless kisses here and there, fingers interlaced with one another the entire time, or light giggles when one of them made a joke or talked about bringing home a monkey and Calamity Jane freaking out over it. Either way, life was perfect in that moment.

The two of them were curled up on the bed together, watching whatever program seemed suitable to watch. Waverly’s head was resting on her Captains chest, while her fingers danced along her girlfriend's stomach. The pair decided to change into comfy clothes, thinking that they probably weren’t going anywhere for the rest of the afternoon. That was until the brunette started asking questions.    
  
“What happen’s _if_ your father finds _you?”_  
  
_“When.”_ Nicole corrected her girlfriend. She didn’t mean to, but the Captain knew it was the right answer.  
  
The brunette lifted herself up, so she was leaning on her elbow and was looking down at the redhead. “Nicole, what will happen?” Waverly repeated.  
  
The Captain sighed. “Knowing my father, probably lure me to Texas by using my greatest weakness against me. Using that to get to me, to change my mind about joining the business.”  
  
Waverly noticed the change in Nicole’s voice and the stiffness in her body. “It’s me, isn’t it? He’ll use me to get to you.” The brunette already knew the answer. But the seeing her girlfriend's reaction to her statement was an answer all in its self.     
  
“I won't let him hurt you.” The redhead whispered.  
  
“I can take care of myself.” Waverly flatly said. She removed herself from her Captain’s embrace and curled her arms around her legs.  
  
Nicole got out of bed. Fear for her girlfriend’s life and the anger at her father combined into one. “I know you can, Waves, but not against him.” Her voice slowly got louder. “I know what my father is capable of and you’re not trained like I am.”  
  
“So then what, Cole? Nicholas takes me, and you barter out a deal!”  
  
“There’s no deal, Waverly. My father gets his hand on you and…”  
  
The youngest Earp jumped out of bed and stood as tall as she could. Her voice rising in volume as well. “And you’ll what, join him? Be apart of a business that you ran away from?”  
  
Nicole took a deep breath. “Yes.”  
  
The brunette started pacing the room, yelling in the process. “Are you out of your mind! No, you know what, don’t answer that, cause I know you and you wouldn’t be that freaking stupid to do that.”  
  
“You’re right, Waves. I ran away from it, but I still ended up killing people anyway’s.”  
  
“That’s because of the military. You didn’t do it for fun or because someone double-crossed you. You did it because you were protecting yourself and anyone else around you. You are nothing like your father, Nicole.”  
  
“But if it means keeping you safe then I will! Fuck!” Nicole threw her arms in the air and began pacing as well. “Hell, I should just fly straight to him after bringing you home, just so he doesn’t find out about you!”  
  
Waverly had instantly stopped. Tears beginning to form. “Nicole, he’ll kill you! Is that what you want? To just die and give to up on us. Like the last few months meant nothing to you. Like I meant nothing to you! You’ve been hiding for eight years, and you’re seriously willing to give up just like that? Where’s the woman I fell in love with, because the Nicole Haught I love, wouldn’t back down so easily? Wouldn’t give up without a fight.” The youngest Earp sat on the corner of the bed, head in her hands, and body shaking as she sobbed.  
  
The redhead exhaled loudly, walked over to Waverly and sat on her knees in front of her girlfriend. “Baby, I’d rather die a thousand deaths by the hands of my father, than have him be near you. If he finds out, I’m in love with you, who knows what he’ll do to you. But I don’t want risk it either. You’re my entire world, Waves, and I don’t want to lose you to him.”  
  
Waverly lifted her head and stared at her Captain. “I know, Nicole. I don’t want to lose you either, and quite frankly, I’d die if anything happened to you. So we need to come up with a plan. One that if something does happen and your father finds you and finds out about me, we’ll have a plan in place. No matter how crazy it is. Even if it means you surrendered to him to save me. If you have to point a gun at my head, then so be it. At least then, we will be prepared and know what actions to take."

**____________________**

  
_Wednesday, January 11, 2017_ _~ Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 10:23 A.M. (CT)_              
  
Nicole made the slightest of nods she could make and continued staring directly at her girlfriend. The Captain felt her eyelids dropped, but she fought to keep them open, taking in the moment. _Breathe in. Breathe out._ She finally closed her eyes as her pointer finger touched the trigger.  
  
“I’m so sorry, Waverly.” Nicole breathed out.  
  
“Nicole, baby, please don’t do this. I know you love...”  
  
*P-Taff*

  


"Nicole!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm sorry I did this again! I know, I know, I'm an ass! 
> 
> I'm just gonna go hide under a rock and hope you all don't find me! 
> 
> I also figure chapter 25 will be the last chapter of this story.


	25. Twenty-Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to final chapter everyone! Thank you to everyone has on given me kudos and left comments. Thank you for giving this story a chance and following me through this crazy ride. I'll be straight up honest with you all. I had no clue where this story was going when I first started writing it and definietly wasn't expecting it to be over 100k words. 
> 
> This is the first time in almost six years that I've written and finished a story and its the first time I've ever wrote anything of this length. Posting here on AO3 and recieving comments has certainly given me the push to finish this story and continue to write others. So I want to thank all of you for giving me the drive to write. It truly is a wish come true since I never thought I'd write again. Let alone finish a peice. 
> 
> So THANK YOU!
> 
> Also, SEASON FOUR! HELL YEAH! When we all watch the new episode tonight, try not to think about my story since Waverly is literally chained up just like she is in my story! CRAZY RIGHT?
> 
> Anyway, this chapter did not go the way I thought it would. I was expecting to be like 2,000 words or just over, but nope! This chapter rings in at 6,488. 
> 
> So ENJOY!

_Wednesday, January 11, 2017 ~Phoenix Crematorium; Houston, Texas — 10:24 A.M. (CT)_              
  
Milliseconds passed by and Nicholas’s patience was running thin. He noticed his daughter’s hesitation. He knew Nicole couldn’t do it. She couldn’t pull the trigger at sixteen so why would she now? After all, the redhead was aiming at her girlfriend, her ultimate weakness. The Boss watched closely, observing her every move. He saw the Captain's head make the slightest of movement and just knew, something was off.  
  
Quickly pulling out his second nine-milliliter gun, Nicholas aimed it at his daughter. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Nicole turned around and pointed her gun at him. Two things happened at that moment. Glass shattering and the Boss firing his weapon.        
  
*P-taff*  
  
Shannon watched the whole scene unfold. She prayed that her daughter wouldn’t shoot the woman she loved. But Nicole’s hesitation said it all. She didn’t want to do it and waiting to do so proved that. The woman knew that her husband saw the same thing and took action. Before she could even warn her daughter, Nicholas was already firing his gun.  
  
“Nicole!” Waverly screamed in horror.    
  
Two bodies hit the cold cement. One thud was louder than the other. Nicole hit first followed by Nicholas. A bullet to the chest and a shot in the shoulder. Something was missing that should have been there, but a frantic Waverly didn’t notice, and Shannon was too far away to see. 

Being shot at point blank range did not do the Captain any justice. The blow to the chest caused her to be sent back a few feet behind her. Unfortunately, as Nicole’s back hit the floor, it was guaranteed that her head would too. The echo of the shot made the cracking of the redhead’s skull to be unheard by both Waverly and Shannon.  
  
“Nicole… baby, please… please get up. You need… I need you. Baby, please” The brunette pleaded.  
  
Nicole’s body hadn’t moved yet and that only made Waverly panic even more. She just watched the love of her get shot in the chest, and she couldn’t do anything to help her. The brunette started thrashing her arms and pushing her feet off the wall. She had… no _needed_ to get her hands untied so she could be by Nicole’s side. The youngest Earp _needed_ to make sure that her girlfriend was still alive or not. 

The longest minute that both women had ever endured was interrupted when the door slammed open. Both Waverly and Shannon watched people come rushing in with guns at the ready and tactical gear on. The last person to come in, caused the youngest Earp to gasp. She was but wasn’t expecting to see this person.  
  
“Hanging in there, Babygirl?”  
  
“It’s terrible!... Guess what you prick, you’re worm food now.” Waverly hissed towards Nicholas.  
  
It was the first time the brunette looked at the Boss since he got shot. That was when she finally realized something was off. There was no blood surrounding or spilling from his body. Nicholas was still breathing which meant he was… unconscious? Waverly shook her head and directed her focus back to her sister, who thankfully had some bolt cutters.  
  
“Wynonna cut me loose, now, please. I need to see if Nicole’s all right.”

The middle Earp ran over to her sister, moving past the other agents. Wynonna saw Rosita and Eliza cutting rope from a woman who she assumed was Nicole’s mother and Levi. Perry and Xavier were rolling Nicholas over and handcuffing his wrists together. If the Boss were conscious, he would have been complaining about the tightness. Not that the agents were going to care anyway, not after what he’s done to Waverly and his wife. On top of murdering Liam and anyone else since becoming apart of the business.  
  
“I got you, Babygirl.” Wynonna clipped the metal and somehow managed to catch her sister. The middle Earp hastily took off her jacket and wrapped it around the brunettes shoulders.    
  
Waverly hugged her older sister then moved passed her. Her legs were a little wobbly after two days of no use, but she forced herself to stay upright up. Next to Nicole’s body was a blonde woman hunched over her. The youngest Earp obviously had never seen her before, and it made her stomach clench knowing some stranger was checking her girlfriend before she could. That thought only caused Waverly to spring into action faster.

The second Waverly reached her girlfriend's body, she flew herself to the floor. Nicole still hadn’t stirred, and it had only been a couple of minutes since she got shot. _Why isn’t she moving!_ All of a sudden, the brunette saw it. Blood. There was fresh blood around the redhead. _No, no, no, no, no, no!_                        
  
The brunette grabbed hold of Nicole’s jacket and ripped it open. She sighed in relief when her eyes saw the kevlar vest with a bullet lodged in the middle of her rib cage, just below her breasts. But that still didn’t explain the fresh blood. Waverly’s mind was still trying to catch up with itself with all of the events happening, and she silently cursed herself for it. _She needs you now! No matter what physical state your in._  
  
“Stay with me. Don’t die, baby. Don’t die.”

Absentmindedly, Waverly reached out for Nicole’s head to lift it up to place on her lap. That’s when everything that was going on around her started to blur as she pulled her hand back that was now covered in blood. Her primary focus became the blood coming from the back of her girlfriend’s head and flowing down from her ear. Thankfully, the next set of people who walked into the basement were EMT’s. The brunette motioned for them quickly, and they ran over assessing the issue.  
  
The paramedics began checking the Captain and bandaged the head wound. “She needs to be brought to a military hospital!” Waverly didn’t realize she had spoken until the EMT’s froze for a moment and stared back at her.  
  
“She military?” One them asked.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“Alright, someone call to San Antonio Military Medical. Tell them the situation and that she needs to be treated now. Have their chopper be at the Houston Methodist Hospital. We’ll stabilize her, then do the transfer.”  
  
“Sir, she’s not responding!” 

Everything happened all to fast. Wynonna pulled Waverly away from her Captain, as a paramedic began to check the wounds on her own body. The middle Earp locked her arms around the brunette as she started to fight her. Waverly didn’t care about the burns or lacerations on her, all she cared about was being by Nicole’s side.  
  
It was as if time had stopped and everything was in slow motion. The EMT’s ripped the ballistic vest opened and scissored Nicole’s shirt opened as well. They then began to do chest compressions and then stopped to use the defibrillator in hopes of starting the redhead’s heart again. Waverly couldn’t breathe as she watched the love of her life’s back arch off the cement floor. She didn’t realize how hard her Captain fell and felt sick to her stomach to know that she didn’t register the thought sooner. 

Shannon was freed from her chair and was held back by Bustillos and Shapiro when she started to run towards her daughter. She couldn’t believe that her husband had actually shot their only child. But she couldn’t focus on that detail anymore. Her daughter was losing blood fast from her head and had stopped breathing. Nicole was dying, and she wanted to be by her side just as much as Waverly did.       

Seconds ticked by and another shock to Nicole’s heart had the youngest Earp thrashing in Wynonna’s arms even more. She had to be next to her love, not pulled away from her. Waverly needed to feel the warmth of Nicole’s skin against hers and hope that hadn’t turned cold. _This should not be happening. This should not be happening!_

This wasn’t apart of the plan at all. Nicholas wasn’t supposed to be able to pull the trigger before the Captain. They both hoped that the Boss wouldn’t of had a second gun, but Nicole reminded the brunette that her father was a spineless lizard that couldn’t be trusted. So the two of them planned everything out. What they both didn’t see coming, was the repercussions of Nicholas pulling the gun out sooner than they thought and shooting the redhead before she could fire at him.  
  
Exhaustion was starting to seep into the brunette, but she fought it. She continued to fight it. Waverly couldn’t let it win, not when her love was on the verge of death. She watched as the paramedics shock Nicole a third time. Sadly, the youngest Earp didn’t know if it was successful or not. Her body gave out as her eyelids closed. She fell to the floor with Wynonna’s arm still wrapped around her. The last image Waverly remembered was her loves body lifting off the ground from the shock of the defibrillator.

**____________________**

  
   
_Monday, January 16, 2017_ _~ Methodist Hospital; Houston, Texas — 4:30 P.M. (CT)_  
  
Beep… Beep… Beep…  
  
“Cole?” Waverly silently breathed out.  
  
The sound of the heart monitor was the first thing Waverly heard. Her eyes were a little blurry, so she blinked a few times before they became focused again. The youngest Earp looked around the room and noticed that she wasn’t a basement anymore. The brunette realized she was in a hospital room and was the one lying in bed.  
  
The youngest Earp didn’t remember how she got there or even remembering leaving the basement, but that didn’t matter anymore. She was safe. Waverly was no longer a victim of torture. She was no longer a victim to Nicholas Haught the Third. Just the thought of the Boss had the brunette springing forward in bed and ignoring pain that coursed through her, immediately.  
  
“Nicole! Where’s Nicole?”

Wynonna was sound asleep with her head on the hospital bed. She hadn’t been able to leave her sister's side since finding her practically chained to a wall. The darker brunette couldn’t find it in her to have Waverly out of her sight. Not after everything that had happened to her sister while being in that basement. The movement on the bed and the sound of her sister’s voice yelling, sprang her into action. 

The middle Earp needed to calm the brunette down without touching her bandages, which was a lot harder than she thought. Waverly’s entire body was just about covered in them. There were very few spots that didn’t have white bandages on her sister. Wynonna just had to be extremely careful. Especially now considering the circumstances that they were in.  
  
“Babygirl, it’s okay. You’re safe, nobody is going hurt you anymore.”  
  
“Where’s Nicole?” Waverly asked again. “Is she okay? Is she alive? Oh god Wynonna, please tell me she isn’t dead.” The brunette started to hyperventilate with tears in her eyes.  
  
“I need you to breathe, Waves. Okay. Breathe with me.”  
  
The heart monitor was beeping exotically, but neither Earp siblings heard it. The door to the room busted open, and a couple of nurses and a doctor came running in. When they saw that Waverly was awake and having a panic attack, they quickly took over from Wynonna. The two nurses held youngest Earp while the doctor left and came back with a syringe.  
  
The doctor swiftly took the syringe and connected it to the IV that was in her right hand. Waverly started to settle as the sedative worked its way through her system. Wynonna hated having to give that to her, but it was the right call. Too much movement would have reopened the brunette’s wounds and would be bed bound even longer. Something the middle Earp knew her sister would not be up for.  
  
“Thank you,” Wynonna said to the nurses and doctor as she sat back down in the chair behind her. 

The room was once again quiet except for the sound of the monitor beeping. It really was an annoying sound, but at that moment, the darker brunette didn’t care. Her sister was alive, and that was all that mattered. The middle Earp made a silent vow that she would help Waverly with her recovery and make sure she had everything that she would need to get through it. 

Wynonna leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. She placed her hands inside her jacket as she tried to get comfortable. Just as her right hand reached the bottom of the pocket, she felt something cold. The darker brunette grabbed the metal and pulled it out. She opened her hand and looked down at her palm. A small but painful smile came across her face as she looked at Waverly’s dog tags. The set that Nicholas had taken from her sister and the same ones Nicole had given to her for Christmas.  
  
The middle Earp sat back up and got back out of the chair. She took the necklace and put it over her little sisters head. Wynonna made sure to be careful when placing the chain around Waverly’s neck. She gently put the tags on her sister's heart then placed her hand over them. The feeling of the brunettes heartbeat was faint due to the metal that was in-between but being able to feel a beat at all, was satisfying enough for Wynonna.    
  
“I’m so sorry, Babygirl. Nicole never wanted this to happen to you. She loves you, Waves. I love you as well. I’m sorry, I can’t be that person you need right now, but I’ll do my best.”

 **____________________**  
  

_Tuesday, January 17, 2017_ _~ Methodist Hospital; Houston, Texas — 8:51 A.M. (CT)_  
  
The sedative that the doctor gave Waverly lasted longer than what Wynonna had expected. The drug had her sleeping until morning, and even then, the brunette hadn’t woken up yet. If she was awake, she was staying quiet and nonchalant. The middle Earp couldn’t blame her sister though. After everything and still not knowing the status of your girlfriend, you’d want to take some time to think about it too.  
  
Some gosling on the bed had Wynonna getting up from her chair in a flash. She wasn’t sure if her sister was going to have another episode like the day before, but she wasn’t going to take any chances either. The middle Earp gently placed her hand on Waverly’s shoulder, and her little sister turned her head towards her. The moment their eyes met, broke Wynonna’s heart.  
  
Waverly’s eyes were brim with tears and her cheeks wet as the water fell from the corner of her eyes. The brunette wasn’t entirely asleep when her sister spoke to her yesterday. The way Wynonna sounded and the words that she said, made the youngest Earp believe that her love didn’t make it. She didn’t want to consider it though. She couldn’t. A life without Nicole really wasn’t worth fighting for. It sounded crazy ridiculous, but that was how she felt. Waverly knew her girlfriend was her soulmate and she honestly didn’t want to live a life without her. To live a life where she had to fake her smile once again and act like she was happy even though her heart would break every day did not sound appealing and it definitely wasn’t what Waverly wanted.          
  
“How long have I been here?” Waverly asked through her hoarse voice.  
  
“A week as of tomorrow. You’ve been asleep for most of it. Well, doctors had to give you a sedative a couple of times so you wouldn’t rip open your wounds again.”  
  
The brunette scoffed. “Like it really matters.”  
  
“The hell that supposed to mean. Of course, it matters. You need to heal so we can go home.”  
  
“Home to where Wynonna? The homestead or my old apartment? Neither of those places is my home. Hell, an actual place isn’t my home anymore. My actual home is a person. Someone who no one will tell me the status of, so I’m lead to believe that she’s dead!”  
  
“Haught is alive, Babygirl. For the most part, anyway.”  
  
“For the most part?” Fresh tears ran down Waverly’s cheeks as she choked out a sob. _She’s alive!_  
  
Wynonna explained the situation. Told her how Nicole fractured her skull and the blow to her head might have caused some brain injury. To what extent the doctors didn’t know. The Captain had slipped into a coma shortly after paramedics brought her back to life in the basement. The gunshot to her chest caused some bruising, but it wasn’t bad. The vest saved her life up until she fell. So now, it was a waiting game. The redhead was currently in ICU at the military hospital connected to machines keeping her alive while doctors waited to see if she would wake up or not. The thing is, Waverly only had a short window of time before they pulled the plug. The brunette knew that information already as well.  
  
As much as Waverly didn’t want to know, she asked about her oldest sister, Champ, and Nicholas. The middle Earp was happy to tell her that all of them including Willa’s boyfriend were currently sitting in jail. Willa and Robert’s hearing wasn’t for another month, and they had a long list that would keep them in prison for a long time.  Champ had a few things on him and would keep him there for at least ten years. Nicholas, on the other hand, was guaranteed to go straight to the death penalty along with everyone else who had been working for the Boss and had killed multiple people. Needless to say, it put the youngest Earp at ease for the time being. For the most part anyway.  
  
“How were you able to get info on Nicole’s when you’re not her Power of Attorney or next of kin?”  
  
“Haha, funny should say that. Apparently, your girlfriend made you both of those at some point and since you were out like a light, the doctors were kind enough to tell me her condition so I could tell you. Not normal protocol but they let it slide.” Wynonna watched her sisters eyes go to the size of saucers. “What?”  
  
“She never told me that I was appointed to either of those… Can you find out when I can leave? I need to be with her as soon as possible.”  
  
“How come? I mean, I get it. She’s sleeping beauty and needs her princess to wake her up, but you’re making it seems like its much more serious than that.”  
  
“It is. Nicole doesn’t want a machine keeping her body alive, and if I’m not there in time, the doctors will pull the plug before I can even get a chance to talk to her. My time is running out, Wynonna. So please help me get to her.”  
  
“Alright, Prince Charming, I’ll see what I can do.”      

 

 **____________________**  
  

_Sunday, January 22, 2017_ _~ Military Medical Center; San Antonio, Texas — 10:50 A.M. (CT)_  
  
It was another few days before the doctors allowed the brunette to leave the hospital. She was still a little sore from the burn marks, but she managed through it. Waverly had too. If it meant being with her love, then she would do anything. Even if it meant being in a bit more pain. That's what pain meds are for right? It was a three-hour drive to San Antonio Military Medical Center. Neither one of the Earp girls knew what to expect when they arrived. Waverly had only been on the base in Maine, and even still, she never went through the gate. Nicole told her the process once. That to go through, you needed to either have a military I.D or be with someone who had one when you reached the gate. But since neither of them didn’t have those options and it being military a hospital, the brunette was stumped. 

Thankfully, it wasn’t as hard as she thought. They had to get a visitor's pass to drive through the gate. The Officer working called into the hospital to clarify Waverly’s name as POA and the next of kin since Nicole was in a coma and they couldn’t talk to her directly. After that, she and Wynonna received their passes and went about parking. Fortunately, the same Officer gave them directions on how to go about the base and how to find the Intensive Care Unit quickly.  
  
Waverly had a hard time trying not to sprint through the halls the moment the elevator door opened to ICU. She reframed herself from looking into everyone’s room before talking to one of the nurses at the front desk. It was even more difficult to not leave her sister's side and just run for Nicole’s room. To just go where she’s supposed to be and not lallygagging in the hallway without a care in the world.  
  
The moment arrived as the brunette reached the door to Nicole’s room. It was closed, and everything in her told her to just open it and not look back. Yet, at the same time, opening meant she had a choice to make. One that Waverly really didn’t want to make but knowing her girlfriend's wishes, she had to do it. They were going on two weeks since the redhead found her and got shot by Nicholas. Two weeks too long, in Waverly’s mind. It was also two weeks longer than what her Captain would have wanted, and that pained the youngest Earp a great deal.  
  
What Waverly had found out, was that her sister made a deal with the doctors that they wouldn’t pull the plug until after the brunette got a chance to talk to her. In Wynonna’s minds, she hoped that if Nicole heard Waverly’s voice or felt her presence, she would come to. The middle Earp really didn’t want to see her little sister be heartbroken and Nicole Haught dying, would do just that.  
  
“Go in, Babygirl. I’ll be out here.”  
  
“You’re not coming in?”  
  
“No, you go see your girl. She needs you more now than ever.” Waverly nodded her head and hugged her sister before walking in. 

The sound of the heart monitor was something the youngest Earp hoped she wouldn’t have to hear for a while, but life just wasn’t fair at the moment. The door closed behind her with a soft click, and for reason’s unknown, it made Waverly jump. Her heart sped up a bit, and her breathing became labored. It was just a faint sound but to her, in a quiet room with the only other sound being a beep every couple of seconds, seemed like the loudest sound in the world. It also didn’t help that it reminded her of the safety clicking back on Nicholas’s gun.  
  
Waverly’s nerves calmed when she looked over at Nicole. Her love was just lying in bed with a bandage wrapped around her head. She sighed in relief when she saw the rise and fall of the redhead’s chest. Her Captain had a ventilator in her nose and IV’s in her left arm. It was a painful sight to look at but it was better than not being able to see Nicole at all.  
  
The brunette walked over and gave Nicole a chaste kiss to her cheek. Waverly grabbed her right hand and ran her thumb over the back of it like she had so many other times. She took a deep breath and sat down in the chair that was closest to the bed. Sadly she to let go of the redhead’s hand just so she could bring the chair as close to her love as possible and still be comfortable at the same time. The youngest Earp retook hold of Nicole’s hand and kissed it once more.  
  
“I’m here, my love. I’m sorry, it’s taken me a little bit to get here. I was in the hospital myself and couldn’t leave until the doctors thought it was okay. It was so hard not to tell them to shut up and let me leave. God, I needed you there with me, baby. I needed your strength and courage. Instead, you were here waiting for me.”  
  
Tears ran down Waverly’s cheeks and soaked the sheets underneath her. Some of her tears had landed on Nicole’s hand and trailed down her arm. The brunette had her eyes closed the whole time while talking that she missed the movement on her Captains face.    
  
“Nicole, please wake up. I need you here with me. I don’t want to leave this state without you by my side. Baby, please. Please give me a sign that you can hear me… I love you, Nicole. Please don’t leave me.”  
  
“I won’t.”

Waverly’s head snapped up to the weak but gravel sound of her lover's voice. A new wave of tears rolled down her face when her hazel eyes meet the deep brown ones that she fell in love with a few months back. The brunette blinked a couple of times to make sure her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. A gentle squeeze to her hand had her realizing that it wasn’t a dream and that Nicole had, in fact, woke up.  
  
The youngest Earp bolted up from her chair and kissed her Captain’s lips softly. It felt like it had been ages since Waverly’s lips touched Nicole. In some ways, it had been, but in reality, it had only been a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks too long in her opinion. The way the redhead kept her in place longer than what was public appropriate, Waverly knew her girlfriend felt the same way.  
  
“Hi.” The brunette said when she pulled back for some much-needed air.  
  
“Hi.” Nicole smiled, her dimples popping out as she cupped the side of her girlfriends face with the one hand that didn’t have IV’s in it. “This is going to sound incredibly cheesy as hell, but I swear I could hear your voice and when I opened my eyes, here you were.”             
  
“Even after waking up from a coma, you still manage to make me swoon.” Waverly managed to say through a watery smile. “I love you, Cole.”  
  
“I love you too, Waves.”

 **____________________**  
  

_Wednesday, January 25, 2017 ~ Military Medical Center; San Antonio, Texas — 1:18 P.M. (CT)_  
  
As the next couple of days went by, Waverly never left her Captains side. Wynonna left the happy couple to stay at a nearby Hotel, that Nicole insisted on paying for. It was only fair in her eyes since all of them were in Texas because of her. The middle Earp started to protest, but one look at the redhead told her to just accept and go with it.  
  
Doctors and nurses were in and out of the room making sure Nicole didn’t have any brain injuries. The Captain ended up doing an MRI and CT scans to double check everything. It was better to be safe than sorry in her situation. So the redhead gladly went through the procedures and was happy to find out that nothing significant had happened. Some minor memory loss seemed to be the only thing the doctors told her that could be an issue. So far, it wasn’t.  
  
Wynonna showed up every day to check up on her sister and to see how her friend was doing. She was relieved when both were doing fine and found them joking around a lot. The middle Earp could see that the two of them were ignoring the situation for why they were in the hospital in the first place but honestly, she didn’t want to bring it up either. But when Waverly did, it took Nicole and her by surprise.  
  
“Wynonna, the day you told me Nicholas would most likely get the death sentence, what did you mean by that? I saw him get shot. By who, I don’t know.” The youngest Earp asked as she settled more into Nicole’s side, on the hospital bed.  
  
The darker brunette smirked. “I shot him with a tranquilizer dart.”  
  
“You?” Waverly pointed at her sister with an amused look on her face. Though it quickly turned into a puzzled one. “Wait, you shot him? I’m so confused right now.”  
  
The middle Earp and Nicole explained how the two came up with a plan while the redhead drove around for an hour. They had to do everything exactly right, or the whole layout would blow up on them. The FBI agents were in on it as well, and they all helped Wynonna distract the guards out front while the Captain walked up and tranquilized them as well as Champ. The darker brunette then had to wait for the perfect moment to take out Nicholas. The only issue she had, was the window. The dart wasn’t sharp enough to break the glass, so the second Wynonna saw the Boss grab his gun, she had Dolls throw a rock at it. Causing it to shatter and not even a millisecond later, she took the shot and Nicholas fell to the ground, unfortunately, not before shooting the redhead in the chest.  
  
The only person that wasn’t aware of the secondary plan was, of course, Waverly. She was flabbergasted. It made her wonder if her sister knew about hers and Nicoles. Come to find out, she didn’t. Apparently, Wynonna was freaking out internally when she saw the Captain point the gun at the brunette and almost decided to shoot her instead but went against when she noticed the silent conversation between the couple. Needless to say, both plans went according to how they were supposed to go but Nicholas Haught the Third managed to fuck them up by trying to kill his own daughter.          

 **____________________**  
  

_Saturday, February 4, 2017 ~ State_ _Penitentiary; Houston, Texas — 11:30 A.M. (CT)_  
  
 A week and a half went by before the Captain was released from the hospital. She had a small bandage on the back of her head still, and the bruises on her torso were barely noticeable at that point. It meant that there were fewer reminders of that day and Nicole couldn’t be happier. There was one thing that concerned her the most though. Waverly had become jumpier than usual. The redhead picked up on that the day after her girlfriend arrived at the hospital. She wanted to talk to the brunette about it but also didn’t want to dwell on what it meant for her either. So Nicole decided she was going to wait to mention until after they got home.  
  
Home. So far away yet so easy to get to. There was only one thing holding the redhead back from flying directly home with her girlfriend and Wynonna. One thing that needed to be done before she left the state of Texas for a while. Before she no longer had the opportunity to do what she wanted to do in the first place.     
  
Nicole parked in front of a building that she never thought she’d have to one day walk in to, especially for 'family.' At the same time, it felt right being there. It meant she won and he didn’t and that was a feeling all in its own. To know that the Captain didn’t have to keep running and hiding away from the world. To keep looking over her shoulder to see if someone might be following her or to be able to actually leave the military instead of hiding within the branch. It was a fantastic feeling to finally feel free of her father.  
  
The Captain looked over to the passenger seat and couldn’t stop the smile on her face. Waverly was staring back at her, but she wasn’t smiling though. She had a concerned look on her face. A silent conversation went on between them, one where the brunette was making sure that she really wanted to go through with it. Nicole smiled again and nodded. She then leaned over and kissed her girlfriend softly. It was interrupted instantly but Wynonna clearing her throat in the back seat. The couple couldn’t help but chuckle when they pulled apart.

The three of them got out of the rental car and made their way inside the state penitentiary. Waverly and Wynonna were expecting to be greeted by one of the guards; instead, they came face to face with Director Lucado. The youngest Earp had met the blonde haired woman about a week ago when the older woman made a visit to see how Nicole was doing and to make sure the Captain hadn’t actually died.  
  
“Morning ladies. Captain Haught, everything is all set up for you.”  
  
“Thank you, Director.”  
  
“Not a problem, now if you’ll just follow me I’ll bring you to where you need to be.”

All four women walked down the narrow hallway for a couple of minutes. Lucado stayed in front of them the entire time since she certainly knew the building better than the others. Once she reached about the halfway point of the hallway, the Director stopped in front of a door. It was a thick metal door, and for some reason, it almost looked intimidating.  
  
Lucado looked at the Earp sisters and opened the door. “You two are in this room. I’ll be in there as well in a few.”

Waverly gave Nicole a kiss to her cheek then walked inside with Wynonna on her heels. The Captain nodded when her love glanced over her shoulder before Lucado closed the door behind them. Nerves started to give the redhead anxiety, but she shook her head and squared her shoulders and starting walking towards the second door that was a few feet away.  
  
“Word of advice, Captain Haught, cameras are off.” The Director said with a smirk. She opened the same door to join the Earp sisters. Lucado gave Nicole a thumbs up as she proceeded into the room. 

The Captain decided to take a moment to herself. She took a couple of breathes to calm her nerves. Once Nicole felt that she was ready, she grabbed the door handle and pulled it open. It was like déjà vu all over again only now, the situation was completely different.

Inside the room was a desk and two chair, one on both sides. One of the chairs was occupied by a redheaded man in an orange colored jumpsuit. That man was none other than her jackass of a father, Nicholas Haught. Who apparently was not expecting her presence by the dumbfounded look on his face.  
  
“What’s the matter? Never seen a ghost before, Nicholas?” The Captain quipped with wolffish smirk.  
  
“That any way to speak to your father?” Nicole sat in the chair on the other side of the table.  
  
“Maybe not, but I’m not talking to my father. I’m conversing with an asshole criminal who looks terrible in orange… Now you’re probably wondering why I’m here right? Well, I’ll tell you. Its pretty simple actually. You see, jackass, you lost. You know longer have a business of any kind. Your ‘employees’ won't help you either. They're all locked up and scattered throughout the state. They won't see the light of day again just like you.”  
  
Nicholas scoffed. “You know absolutely nothing, little girl.”  
  
“Oh, but I do. You and grandfather were idiots because you never covered your damn tracks when it came to your employees. All of them, actually. You kept track of them in a little black book like some dirty old man keeping score of how many people he’s fucked. I remembered you keeping a kill scorebook as well with every person's name that you and your employees murdered... you know, you really should change the passcode to your safe. Nothing is sacred when blood-related relatives know it. I.e., me. As of right now, FBI is looking at every single document you held in that safe.” 

The Boss’s face turned white, his eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open. Not once did his daughter blink when revealing all that information. Nicole’s voice was laced with anger, and her face stayed neutral. Nicholas didn’t want to believe her though. Then again, he was the one sitting in an orange jumpsuit with his hands cuffed to the table. But that didn’t stop him from smirking. He didn’t want the Captain to believe that her words bothered him.  
  
“You’re lying.” The Boss snarled.  
  
“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” Nicole laughed. “But I’m not the one sitting in jail right now, am I?” The redhead got up from her seat.  
  
“This isn’t over you know. I’ll be out in no time, and I’ll be coming for you. This time I’ll make sure I aim for your head and then go for your little whore of a girlfriend.”  
  
Nicole stood behind the metal chair with her hands on the back of it. She grabbed the top until her knuckles turned white. “Sure, you can believe that… Oh, and one more thing before I go.”        
  
The Captain took a step back and threw the chair up in the air. Nicole’s hands took hold of the legs and brought it back towards her before swinging it at Nicholas’s head. The Boss had no time to react before the metal connected with his face. His daughter struck him so hard that his head hit the side of the table. 

Nicole took one last look at Nicholas as she set the chair down as if she never used it as a weapon. The inmate was struggling to get up and never saw her exit the room. As the door closed, the redhead could hear her father yelling at her. A smile came across her face. She had won, and that’s all that mattered.  
  
The redhead walked into the room where her girlfriend, Wynonna, and Lucado were. The second she was in, her heart stopped. Waverly was in tears and looked like she was about to have a panic attack. Nicole rushed over and wrapped the brunette up in her arms. They stood like that for a few minutes until the youngest Earp’s breathing came back to normal.    
  
“Let's go home, baby,” Nicole spoke into her girlfriend's hair. The brunette nodded and sniffled a couple more times.  
  
As they all walked back out of the building, Waverly thought about what Nicholas had said. The youngest Earp thought about how she felt when her eyes met with her attackers. Sure, the Boss couldn’t see her through the one-way mirror, but that didn’t stop her from feeling like she did back in the basement. Deep down the brunette knew, that the panic attack she started to have, wasn’t going to be her last. She only hoped that they wouldn’t get any worse or destroy her relationship with the love of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as you all know by now, this story is not entirely over. Yes, Nicholas and Champ deserve so much more than what I've given them, but don't worry, they will. 
> 
> Part two of this story will dig into the repercussions of Waverly's torturing. PTSD is a bitch, especially when triggered. It will be a little bit before I begin diving into part two as I am still working on 'And Then You Happened' and I have started another piece as well. 
> 
> Again, thank you all for joining me on this crazy journey. If any of you read my other fic, please note that I am hoping to post a new chapter by next week. I just have to finish writing and editing it. So look out for that.
> 
> Again, Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Waverly and Nicole and other characters borrowed from the television show Wynonna Earp are the property of their creators, and their affiliates, NBCUniversal, Syfy, Space and IDW Publishing. The characters may not belong to me, but this story does. Please don’t plagiarize.


End file.
